The first SOLDIER
by hhgbh
Summary: FF6 - An evil band of former magic users have set their sights on the last remaining source of magic in the world. The magic that Celes has been infused with!
1. Default Chapter

The First SOLDIER

By Saiyanx

Chapter 1

It was evening at Vector Castle. All the guards were doing there usual rounds, unaware that down below their feet, something unusual was occurring. A newborn baby was crying. Of course, there's nothing unusual about that, but what was unusual was that, instead of being held in its' mothers' arms, the baby was laid on a table surrounded by all manner of lab equipment.

Cid, the chief scientific engineer of Vector, stood on a higher station watching the activities below him. He was flanked by none other than the Emperor himself and his young protégé Kefka.

"Kwa ha ha ha, she certainly has the cry of a warrior. Listen to her wail!" Kefka grinned manically, looking down at the infant. "That's the spirit, kid. Kwa ha ha ha!"

Cid didn't really see what was so funny. In his heart, he couldn't help but pity the little one. She was the daughter of Lionel Chere. The best fighter in the Empire's entire army. Or, at least, he had been. During their recent excursion to the Esper world, the guards had been foolish enough to turn their back on an esper that they thought was dying. The beast had leapt up and hurled a fireball right at the Emperor, but Chere had thrown himself in front of it, saving the Emperors' life but loosing his own.

It was found out afterwards that Cheres' wife was with child. The Emperor had been looking for a suitable subject for his project and, never being one to miss an opportunity, had promised to raise and care for the child. He would even guarantee that it would become an important member of the Empire. Of course, the childs' mother was a loyal subject of the Empire and would do anything her Emperor asked. Even hand over her first-born.

And so, here she was. Barely thirty minutes old and about to go through a life-changing procedure. Cid watched as his assistants gathered around the baby. Each of them holding a needle attached to several vats lined up against the wall. The needles were pushed into the babys' arms, legs and chest, causing her to cry even more. Dials on the vats were turned and coloured liquid ran through the thin tubes, into the needles, into the child.

Kefka seemed to find her agonized screams absolutely hilarious! Cid however found it difficult to watch. The Emperor had assured him that the child stood the best chance of surviving the procedure at this stage in her life, as her, still developing, body systems were more likely to absorb the magic than try to reject it.

And so, the baby was infused with magic in its' purest form. The Emperor predicted that the child would grow up with a natural ability to use magic, rather than having to learn it from scratch. He also believed that her strength and speed would be affected too, so he already began to make plans to have the best trainers in the kingdom teach her every form of armed and unarmed combat they knew. He said she would become the best warrior in his army.

Cid sighed. He knew what that would mean. The child would never know anything except fighting. She would never get to play with any other children. Never experience friendship or have any kind of a family. In fact, Cid doubted she would ever experience real love her entire life.

_20 years later… _

The Golem roared as it swung its' club down on top of its' victim. The ground shook and trembled at the force of the blow. Grinning, it lifted the club… and found nothing there!

"Sorry, Stony!" The Golem turned around to see the human standing a few feet behind him, with her arms crossed and a cocky smile on her face. "You're going to have to move a lot faster than that, if you want to catch me!"

Celes leapt back as the monsters' club swung at her again. Her beautiful blue eyes shone with confidence. She hadn't even drawn her Runic blade from its' sheath in her belt. She knew she could probably turn this thing into a pile of rocks with a few well-aimed slashes, but Lockes' exact words had been to distract it. Besides, this was much more fun!

Locke Cole, worlds' greatest thi-sorry-treasure hunter, took another careful step across the rope-bridge, trying not to look down at the sizzling magma below him.

'Lava-pits.' He thought to himself. 'Why is the treasure always over a lava-pit?'

The ground shook again as the Golems' club missed its' target once more. The bridge wobbled and Locke gripped the side ropes so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Celes!" He called over his shoulder. "Could you possibly try to distract the Golem a little _further away_ from the rickety rope bridge?"

"Sorry." Celes answered in a sing-song voice and, although Locke couldn't see her, he was sure she was grinning as she said it. The sounds of smashing did start to move further away though, and Locke was able to finish crossing the bridge.

The gemstone was about as big as his fist, and was positioned on a stone platform. After carefully examining the platform, Locke decided that it had a weight mechanism, so he needed to replace the gem with something of equal weight. Reaching into his traveling pouch, he pulled out an ether bottle. Since all the magic in the world had been sealed away when Kefka was defeated, he'd had no real use for them and so only kept them for little odd-jobs. Like this, for example.

Holding the bottle in his left hand and gently gripping the gem with his right, Locke took a deep breath. He had to put the bottle down just as he removed the gem. His eyes became focused. His hands were perfectly steady. Quick as a whip, he took the gem off the platform and replaced it with the bottle.

After a few seconds, he let the air out of his lungs in a sigh of relief. Nothing had happened. He started back across the bridge, when suddenly the platform he'd just been on began sinking into the lava, taking the end of the bridge with it!

"What the-? How! The ether should've weighed the same as-" Locke then noticed a small 's' carved into the side of the bottle. "Oh right, that's the spare bottle I keep for my shaving cream."

He then started running like mad, across the bridge, leaping to the safety of solid ground just before its' ropes snapped and it fell into the lava.

"Phew! That was close!" Locke lifted his bandana up and wiped his forehead. Just then, the ground beneath his feet started to give way! The whole floor of the temple began tumbling into the lava!

Locke was running backwards, just keeping ahead of the falling floor. He managed to turn himself around and sprinted towards the exit.

Meanwhile, Celes was still running rings around the Golem guard. She looked up at the shaking ceiling and decided playtime was over. Gripping the hilt of her Runic blade, she ran, head on, at the monster. The Golem raised its' club to meet her coming. But, before it could swing down, Celes leapt forward, drew her sword and slashed at the creature several times. She landed behind it and re-sheathed her blade. The Golem stood in the exact same position for a few seconds, then realized it was dead and fell to pieces.

Celes began heading back towards Locke, but saw him coming, very quickly, her way.

"Run Celes, run!" He yelled.

Seeing the ground giving way behind him, Celes turned and sprinted away, with Locke closely following.

An outsider would've seen the ancient Mazari temple collapse in on itself, amid a huge cloud of dust. Out of the dust, two figures were thrown. Locke and Celes landed hard on the ground. They were covered in dirt and their hair was sticking up.

Looking at the pile of rubble before them, Celes said,

"There's got to be an easier way to do this. That's the third temple this week we've decimated!"

(Well, there's the first chapter. I'll have the next one up as soon as I can, but that might be difficult since I'm leaving town for a few weeks. Anyway, please let me know what you think so far. I shall return!)


	2. 2

Yes! Just got it in before setting off. Should have the next chapter posted in a few weeks but, if I can post it sooner, I will.

Chapter 2 

As Celes and Locke dusted themselves off, high up in the trees above them, a finger was squeezing the trigger of a crossbow.

"Y'know, Locke." Celes said as she smoothed her hair down. "For a 'master treasure hunter', you sure set off a lot of traps."

"Hey, even the best make mistakes sometimes!" Locke answered hotly. "Anyway, I got the gem, didn't I?"

Celes was about to answer, when her sharp hearing picked up the sound of a 'click'. She grabbed the front of Lockes' shirt and pulled him towards her. The arrow buried itself in the ground, where he had been standing a second earlier. Shoving the gem into his jacket, Locke grabbed a throwing knife from his belt and flung it in the direction the arrow had come from.

A scream sounded out and a man fell out of the tree with the knife in his heart. At the same time two figures leapt from the jungle undergrowth and landed in front of the couple. They were both male and dressed in ragtag attire. One of them crossed his arms and smirked in Celes' direction.

"So, we finally get to meet. I presume you _are_ Celes Chere, former general of the Vector Empire?"

"Who wants to know?" Celes shot back.

The second man chuckled.

"Well, you're just as feisty as the rumors say." He glanced towards Locke. "And who's this? Is he your _boyfriend_, General?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"Why, yes. He is." Celes answered simply.

"…oh." The man seemed slightly crestfallen that his taunt hadn't been affective.

"Oh, forget the trash-talk, Morgan!" His associate said, impatiently. "Let's just do what we came here to do!"

"Alright, Harry! Keep your shirt on!"

Without another word, the two of them each threw knives at Locke and Celes. The treasure hunter and former general were able to whip out their swords and bat the weapons away. Celes saw Morgan come at her, reaching into his cloak. Readying herself for sword-to-sword combat, Celes was taken by surprise when he produced a handful of white powder and blew it in her face!

As Celes stumbled back, wiping at her eyes, Morgan drew his own blade and swung it at her. It was blocked by Lockes' short sword as he leapt in front of Celes. He then rammed into Morgan with his shoulder and kicked Harry away as he tried to sneak attack him.

The two attackers regrouped and stood with their swords at the ready.

"Seems like Bandana Boy has some skill after all!" Morgan said with a grin. "You wanna handle him, while I deal with the general?"

"Alright, but remember to leave her body _relatively_ intact." Harry answered with a grin.

"Are you okay, Celes?" Locke asked, while keeping his eyes on their attackers.

"Yeah." Celes wiped away the last of the powder from her eyes. "I'm ready for their dirty tricks, this time."

Morgan and Harry charged at the pair. Morgan leapt into the air, somersaulted and landed behind them. Celes turned, so that she was back-to-back with Locke, and her blade clashed with Morgans'. They fought like this for a few minutes. Locke fending off Harry, while Celes kept Morgan at bay. Morgan and Harry tried to split them up, but the two moved perfectly together, never allowing an opening.

Harry fell back, with a cut across his cheek from Lockes' sword. This tactic wasn't working. He and Morgan caught each others' eye and nodded. They both ran forward, leaping over Locke and Celes again, only this time they each dropped a small bomb as they passed overhead!

Locke and Celes had to dive for cover as the bombs exploded. Now that the two of them were apart, Morgan and Harry pressed their attacks individually. Locke and Harry fought back and forth. Harry was finding out, with growing frustration, that Locke was very quick on his feet. The treasure hunter was dodging all of his sword swings and then countering with fast thrusts that Harry was having a harder time blocking as the fight went on.

Celes and Morgans' swords were locked and they were pushing hard against each other. Celes gritted her teeth and reared her head back.

"What's the matter?" Morgan asked in that taunting voice again. "Too much for you?"

Celes then rammed her forehead into his nose and, as he staggered back, slammed her sword-hilt into his chin! Turning around, she planted the heel off her boot in his stomach, sending him flying back into the undergrowth.

Turning her attention to Locke and Harry, she was glad to see Locke clearly had the upper hand in his fight as well. He was swinging his sword left and right in powerful sweeps, causing Harry to back away with every step. As he swung left again, he suddenly let go of the hilt with his right hand and socked Harry in the face. Turning the weapon in his left hand, so he gripped it like a dagger, Locke prepared to deliver the final blow to his fallen opponent.

With a small grin on his face, Harry lifted his right arm, gave his wrist a flick and Locke found himself falling to the ground with an arrow in his chest!

"Locke!" Celes ran towards him but, with a whirling sound, a pair of bolas flew out of the undergrowth. They wrapped themselves around Celes' arms and legs, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Heh, heh, heh." Morgan came out of the undergrowth, dusting his hands off. "Well, looks like we'll get to take her alive, after all." He smiled in the direction of the bound Celes.

Celes struggled against the ropes around her. She couldn't let these creeps take her. What about Locke? He was lying on the ground with the arrow shaft protruding from his jacket, clearly in a lot of pain. They were probably going to just leave him there to die. She couldn't let that happen. She had to save him!

"Y'know, Harry. I was wondering." Morgan said as Harry reloaded the small crossbow attached to his wrist, inside his sleeve. "Seeing as how this magic is supposed to be a part of her body, d'ya thinks it might be hereditary?"

Celes turned her head in surprise. How did they know about the magic in her body? Only a small group of people knew about that. They consisted of her friends, who she knew wouldn't go telling anyone, and Cid, who was dead. So who told them about – Wait! What did they mean by hereditary!

"Well gee, I don't know Morgan." Harry replied. "But I'll suggest it to the boss. I'll even volunteer my _services _to find out!" He added with a grin.

Celes' eyes flashed with anger. She resumed trying to break free as the pair began walking towards her. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, several small, thin rectangles embedded themselves in the ground around them.

"What? What the hell are these?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know." Harry bent down to have a closer look at them. "They look like… playing cards?"

Those were his last words because, at that moment, the cards exploded!

Celes shut her eyes to shield them from the blast. When she opened them again, it was to see a friendly face looking down at her.

"Are you okay?" Setzer asked as he reached into his coat and took out a knife.

"I'm fine. But Locke needs a phoenix down." As soon as Setzer cut through her bonds, Celes was on her feet and hurrying towards Locke. She knelt beside him as Setzer reached into his pouch for a life-giving phoenix down.

(This is probably a good time to explain a few things about phoenix downs. Contrary to popular belief, phoenix downs do not bring people back from the dead. They can bring them back from near-death. This meaning, as long as the soul hasn't left the body – which usually occurs a few seconds after all the motor functions have ceased – a person can be revived. Keep in mind, phoenix downs don't work on natural ailments i.e. sickness or old age, and will only heal a person to the point where their life is no longer in danger. To recover fully, potions are required, or hi-potions, depending on the severity of injury.)

"Ow… oh damn, damn, damn!" Celes held Lockes' hand as he writhed in pain.

"Hang on, Locke. You're going to be alright. You're not going to die." She said to him.

"I know I'm not going to die! I'm cursing about what that guy did to the gem!" Locke answered.

"What?" Celes opened up his jacket and saw that the arrow had gone through the gemstone and gotten stuck in it. Its' tip had penetrated Lockes' chest, but not very deeply.

"Here's the phoenix down." Setzer held it out to Celes, but she just held her hand up.

"False alarm. He's fine."

"Fine!" Locke looked up at her. "In case you haven't noticed, I've got an arrowhead in my chest!"

Celes just grabbed the arrow and yanked it out of him.

"Yow!" Locke sat up, with his hand over his chest. "I hope you don't have any future plans to become a doctor!"

After downing a potion, Locke was as good as new. He peered through the hole the arrow had made through the gem.

"D'ya think this'll affect its' price?" He asked Celes and Setzer.

"What do you care?" Replied Setzer. "You two never keep the money anyway."

In the year since Kefka had been defeated, most of the Returners had been trying to do everything they could to help the world get back on its' feet. Locke and Celes had been traveling around the world, with Setzer, in the _Falcon. _They'd visited every tomb, temple and underground treasure-hold Locke knew of, plus a few they'd fallen into by accident.

Once they'd retrieved the treasure, they took it to Figaro Castle and gave it to Edgar and Sabin, who always made sure the money went to helping to rebuild the various shattered kingdoms throughout the world. Thanks to Edgars' foresight, Figaro had been the only kingdom to escape, relatively, unharmed during Kefkas' reign. Therefore, he and Sabin considered it their responsibility to help the other kingdoms as best they could.

"Why were those men attacking you, anyway?" Asked Setzer.

Celes had her arms crossed and a serious look on her face.

"I don't know exactly what their intentions were, but it had something to do with the magic I've got inside me."

Setzers' eyes widened.

"They knew about that?"

Celes nodded, grimly.

"So, ya think they could be old imperial loyalists?" Said Locke.

"I don't know. But they must have some sort of link to the Empire, to know about my magic infusion." Celes replied.

"Well then," Said Setzer. "It is a good thing we're heading towards Figaro Castle. I'd say Edgar and Sabin will want to know about this."

As the trio walked back to the _Falcon,_ they did not notice a real falcon watching them from the branch of a tree. Spreading its' wings, the bird flew up into the sky and set off towards the mountains.


	3. 3

Chapter 3 

The kings of Figaro, Edgar and Sabin Figaro, were seated on the two thrones in the main hall of Figaro Castle. They were going over future development plans with their head chancellor. They were interrupted by a knocking on the door.

"Come in." Said Edgar.

The door opened and in walked the captain of the guard, Cyan Garamonde. Being one of the few survivors of the lost kingdom of Doma, Cyan hadn't had anywhere to return to after Kefkas' defeat. Edgar had offered him the position of captain in their kingdom and Cyan had accepted, partly because being a knight was all he knew, but mostly because, over the course of their battles against the Empire and Kefka, he had formed a great friendship with the twin kings and it made him happy to be able to serve them.

Cyan gave a low bow, on one knee (Edgar and Sabin had told him a hundred times, he didn't have to do that, but old habits die hard).

"Your Highnesses…esses, the lookouts have spotted yonder _Falcon_ coming from the north. It appears master Setzer is returning with a new treasure."

"Oh, great!" Sabin sprang up from his throne. "And Locke and Celes are bound to be with him. It'll be wonderful to see them."

Edgar noticed the slightly disheartened look on their chancellors' face.

"Oh, don't look so worried!" He said to the man, cheerfully. "This is a perfectly innocent meeting between friends. There's nothing to be suspicious about."

'Of course.' The chancellor thought to himself. 'The kings of Figaro having affiliations with a thief, a gambler and a former general of the Empire. Who could see anything wrong with that?'

Only five minutes later, the _Falcon_ had touched down in Figaro Castles' courtyard. Edgar and Sabin sat by the fireplace in their personal living area of the castle. They both rose as Locke, Celes and Setzer walked in, followed by Cyan. Edgar gave them all a warm greeting, especially Celes.

"Ah, my dear. It is so wonderful to see you again. It's been too long since you graced this castle with your beauty."

"Why thank you, Edgar." Locke said, jokingly. "Your guards are unloading the treasure we've found. You can check it out later, but here's a sample." He reached into his pocket and took out the gemstone he and Celes had found.

"Wow! You could choke a behemoth with this thing!" Sabin rolled the precious gem over in his hand. "But, what's with the hole?"

"That brings us to the bad news." Said Celes.

They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway, very fast. The double doors were flung open and the newest member of the Figaro family bounded into the room.

"Friends!" The youth leapt towards Celes, who quickly sidestepped and let him collide with Locke instead, knocking him to the ground.

"Master Gau! Wouldst thou please try to control thyself!" Exclaimed Cyan.

Setzer laughed and pulled the boy off of Locke, giving the treasure hunter some air.

"He's just excited. I'll bet he doesn't get to have much fun cooped up in this castle. Right, Gau?" Setzer patted him on the back.

Gau's appearance had certainly changed since Sabin and Cyan had run into him in the Veldt. His long blond hair was clean and tidy, and tied back in a ponytail like Edgar's and Sabin's. He also wore the same kind of silk robes as the brothers. He no longer walked around on all fours and could even produce sentences with pronouns (but only when Edgar told him they were talking to someone important). Now fifteen, many of the castle maids were commenting on what a handsome young man he was, much to Edgar's chagrin.

"Anyway, as we were saying." Said Celes. "Not long after Locke and I found that gem, we were attacked by a group of men. And get this, they knew about the infusion process I went through as an infant!"

Everyone turned to stare at her, except Locke and Setzer. Edgar walked quickly to the double doors of the room and told the guard outside that they were not to be disturbed.

Ten minutes later, they were all seated around the table.

"Surely it shouldn't be too surprising that they knew you were able to perform magic?" Said Cyan. "Back in the days of the Empire, everyone knew there was something special about you and I'm sure a lot of people saw you use magic during your travels around the world."

"It's not just that." Answered Celes. They knew the magic was a part of me. And the only way they could know that is if they were involved in the infusion."

"Alright, let's go through the names of everyone who was involved in it." Said Setzer. "Emperor Gesthal…"

"Dead." Said Celes.

"Kefka…" Said Edgar.

"Dead."

"Cid…" added Locke.

"Dead." Celes sighed. "And those are just the people we know. There could be any number who were around at the time – Oh no!" Celes suddenly stood up.

"What's wrong?" Asked Sabin.

"I just had a terrible thought. If whoever sent those men was around at the time of my infusion, then there's a chance they might also know about -"

Everyone else joined her as realization dawned.

"Terra!"

(Scene change)

Will climbed along the branch, reaching out for the apple at the far end. Below him, on the ground, his sister Elsie was standing with a worried look on her face.

"Will! That branch is starting to bend. Maybe you should let Mama's tall friend get that one?"

"No, I can do it. I'm nearly there!" The little boy stubbornly called back. He edged along closer, his fingers just touching the surface of the apple…

CRACK!

The branch toppled down towards the ground, taking Will with it! Elsie screamed and covered her eyes. After a few seconds, she dared to open them again. The branch was lying on the ground before her, but Will was not. Surprised, Elsie raised her eyes a little higher.

"Mama!"

Will found himself being held in Terra's strong arms. She put him down gently and placed a hand on her hip.

"Now Will, what did I tell you before you went outside?" She asked him in a slightly stern voice.

"You said I could gather some apples." The boy replied rather defensively.

"But what _else_ did I say?" Terra struggled to keep a straight face as Will started to go red with embarrassment. Elsie ran up and tugged on Terra's dress.

"You said not to climb on any of the really tall branches." She piped up.

"It wasn't that high up!" Will said hotly to his sister.

"Well it certainly isn't anymore." Terra nodded towards where the branch now lay. Will crossed his arms and snorted, and it was all Terra could do not to laugh out loud. He reminded her of Relm. "Come on Will. Let's get these apples back home. Maybe then, I'll be able to get started on those pies."

That instantly snapped Will out of his mood. He ran over to where he'd left the basket of apples he'd collected. But when he got there, the basket was empty and surrounded by apple cores. A belch sounded out from the tree branches above him and he looked up to see five strange men sitting in the tree. They all wore dark clothing and were holding a variety of weapons. One of them grinned at Will and he did not like the look in his eyes one bit. He turned around and ran back towards Terra, his ears telling him the strangers had leapt from the tree and landed on the ground.

Upon seeing them, Terra instantly put herself between the children and the men. She'd had enough experience to know trouble when she saw it. The dark quintet stood just a few feet from her, with their weapons at hand.

"Will, Elsie, get back inside and tell Katrin to keep everyone indoors. Go!"

After a moment's hesitation, the children didn't really want to leave Terra to face the scary men alone, they did as they were told and ran back towards their house.

Terra stood facing the intruders. She had no weapon, no armor and was outnumbered five to one.

'This may prove a bit tricky.' She thought to herself.


	4. 4

Chapter 4

Terra Branford was not, by nature, a violent person. While the other Returners busied themselves treasure hunting and wiping out any monsters or Kefka cult members that still remained, she was perfectly happy to stay in the town of Moblitz, which to be accurate wasn't really a town anymore, with her family. They weren't her family by blood, she didn't have any living biological relatives, but they were the ones who'd helped her realize the true meaning of love. They were the only people, aside from her friends, who'd seen her as a person. Not a monster or a weapon. So yes, Terra Branford was not a violent person, but she had made a promise to herself that she would protect her family and that was a promise she fully intended to keep.

The wind caused her emerald-coloured hair to sway as it rested loose against her back. Her eyes locked with those of the man, she guessed, was the leader of this little group. He stood a little further forward than the others. He had several curved throwing knives in his belt, but his hands remained by his sides. He turned his head to look at his immediate surroundings.

"Nice place, you got here." He said, facing Terra again. "Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told that this little crack in the middle of nowhere was home to an esper. Would you know anything about that, young lady?" His eyes narrowed tauntingly as he asked this.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've wasted a trip. There is no esper here." Terra wasn't lying when she said this. The esper side of herself was gone; left for whatever spiritual realm her father and the other espers had gone to after Kefka had been vanquished.

The stranger's hand brushed the top of one of his knives.

"Are you sure?" He asked, gripping the handle. "We were hoping to meet this esper. We have… certain business with it." His men began to slowly advance towards Terra, who stood her ground. The last two were ginning wickedly, when they suddenly noticed that their shadows had gotten somewhat larger.

"I'll tell you again" Terra said, crossing her arms. "There is no esper here."

All the men suddenly turned as their two comrades were lifted into the air and thrown up into the tree tops!

"But there's a yeti." Terra continued. "Will that do?"

The three remaining intruders found themselves looking up into Umaro's dark eyes. The fur-covered creature towered above them, his fists clenched and his teeth bared.

"Kupo! If y'all know what's good for ya, you'd better vamoose!"

They then looked up even further to see, standing on Umaro's head, a small moogle.

"I'd advise you to listen to my friend." Terra said, gaining their attention again.

The leader sneered at her and reached into his pocket. Terra recognized what it was he took out. It was a smoke bomb! The dark man threw it to the ground and the immediate surroundings became shrouded in white smoke.

Blinking and covering her mouth, Terra stepped forward only to feel strong hands grab her from behind. Remembering a move Sabin had shown her, Terra hooked her foot around her assailant's ankle and swept his foot out from under him. As he stumbled, she planted her elbow in his face, knocking him to the ground.

Jumping back out of his reach, she could make out the silhouette of Umero charging around, trying to smash the bad guys.

"Umero, slow down! Kupo! There's one to your left! No, your other left!"

Seeing that they were having no luck in the smoke, Mog jumped down from Umero's head and started performing a dance. The wind began to pick up, slowly at first but then gathering speed and power. The smoke was cleared away and the attackers struggled to stay on their feet.

Now that his vision was clear, Umero charged at the men, knocking them down like bowling pins! With the danger over, Mog stopped his dance and ran over to Umero.

"Kupo! Way to go, big guy! All three of them down for the count!"

"Weren't there five?" Terra said.

On hearing this, Umero reached down and picked up Mog.

"Kupo! What're you – yaaarghh!" With a mighty heave, the yeti flung his small companion up into the treetops. There came the sound of two skulls connecting and the last two intruders fell to the ground, stunned. Mog tumbled down right after them.

Terra ran over to the moogle to see if he was alright. He had a sizeable lump on his head and was glaring daggers at Umero.

"Kupo! A dozen perfectly good rocks by your feet, and you throw me!"

Terra couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, a huge shadow covered the three. They all looked up to see the _Falcon_ turn in the air and touch down just outside of Moblitz.

"I have a feeling this is going to be one of _those_ days." Said Mog.

"I think you're right." Said Terra.

(Scene Change)

It was ten minutes later, and Terra was sitting on one of the beds in the sleeping area of her house. Will, Elsie, and the rest of the children were with her. Once they'd heard that Umero had beaten up the bad guys, they'd all rushed over to see if their mama was alright. Duane and Katrin were also present. Katrin was holding their baby son, Leo.

Seated around the room were Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, Gau, Mog and Setzer. Celes, Locke and Umero were using one of the other houses to question the five captured men.

"T'is a lucky thing that Sir Mog and Sir Umero were visiting thy home." Cyan commented. "To think that five men would be sent after one young lady! Disgraceful is what it is!"

"That man talks funny." Elsie said, pointing at Cyan. She was shushed by Terra, who answered the knight,

"It seemed to me that they thought I was still part esper. They said they had business with me."

"Well, there are a number of ways they could've known your heritage." Said Edgar. "Pretty much all of Vector found out about you in the aftermath of the esper attack, and I'm sure word like that would spread quickly."

"Plus, how would they know that you weren't an esper anymore." Added Sabin. "I mean, we were the only ones who saw the espers disappear."

"I don't think it's important what they do or don't know." Setzer cut in. "What I'm worried about is what they want. These aren't just random attacks. They were specifically after Celes and Terra, and I want to know why."

"Sounds to Gau like they want to make more magic people."

Everyone looked to where Gau was sitting on a bed, stroking one of the children's labradors. He raised his head, noticed everyone staring at him and said,

"Well, is obvious. Celes got esper juice inside her, bad men think Terra still esper. They know about infusion. They want Celes and Terra's power to put in their own people."

Terra's face seemed to pale slightly.

"That means they were planning to drain me, just like the Empire drained my father."

At that point, the door to the room opened and Locke and Celes walked in. Locke had a triumphant grin on his face.

"Well folks, thanks to a little _persuasion_ from Celes, Umero and myself, we've found out what these creeps are planning. Turns out they want to drain the magic out of -"

"Oh Locke, that's old news! What else did you find out?" Said Edgar.

Locke still had his mouth open and looked at the others in confusion. Celes decided to continue.

"The guy these goons work for goes by the name of Cerro. He's a mage warrior."

"Mage warrior?" The term was repeated throughout the room.

"I thought Strago was the only mage warrior left?" Said Setzer.

"He was the only one we knew about." Locke answered. "There were a few mage warriors who escaped after the war of the magi, and this Cerro guy is one of their descendants. Of course, after Kefka was defeated, he discovered he wasn't able to use magic anymore. He hired some mercenaries to get Terra and Celes for him by promising to teach them how to use magic too."

"A lot of good it would do them." Celes muttered. "I can't use magic anymore, even with my infusion."

"So, where is he now?" Asked Sabin.

"That, they didn't know." Replied Locke.

"Well, I for one think that if there are more mage warriors, then we should try to make contact with them. Invite them to rejoin the world." Celes raised her eyebrows at Edgar, who'd said this.

"You are talking about the people who wanted to drain Terra and myself." She said, coldly.

"Yeah, and what makes you so sure there are others?" Locke added.

"I'm just saying there's a possibility." Edgar replied calmly. "And if there are others, I feel we should try to make amends for what our ancestors did to them."

He stood up.

"First, I shall take those ruffians that attacked Terra back to Figaro Castle for imprisonment. Then I am going to Thamasa. If anyone should be able to help us find out where these mage warriors could be, it's Strago."

"I'll come with you, brother." Sabin offered.

"As captain of thy guard, it is my duty to accompany thou on this diplomatic mission." Said Cyan.

"I'm coming. I want to meet these mage warriors." Said Terra.

Everyone else agreed to come as well.

"Alright then, what are we waiting for?" Edgar dramatically flicked his cape over his shoulder. "Onward, to Thamasa!"


	5. 5

Chapter 5

(Thanks to Lunauc for reviewing my story. It is indeed good to know that someone is reading your work.)

"Impossible." Strago Magus shook his head at the gathered visitors. "There are no more mage warriors."

The others stared at him blankly for a second. They were in Strago's back garden, since there hadn't been enough space in his small living room for all of them.

"What, that's it?" Said Locke. "After what we just told you?"

"This Cerro may think he's a mage warrior, but the last of them, excluding the people of Thamasa, died out centauries ago."

"How can you be so sure?" Celes asked. "What if they've been concealing themselves, just like you did?"

"I'm sure because I spent all of my youth searching for other mage warriors." Strago replied sternly. "I roamed far and wide. It was my life's ambition."

"But Grandpa, I thought your life's ambition was to defeat Hidon." Relm said from her spot on the grass. Interceptor was resting his head on her lap.

"I did have a life outside of that!" Strago replied. "I needed something else to do while I was traveling the world and since I'd always been curious about whether or not there were any other mages, I figured -"

"Strago!" Edgar cut in. "I think we're getting a little off topic here. Now, there's a chance that you're right and there are no more mages, but I cannot simply ignore the possibility that there are. Especially if it means that my friends may be in danger from them." He nodded towards Terra and Celes.

"Anyway, after everything we've been through, I for one believe that anything is possible." Celes added. "Can we, at least take a look at your maps and see if there's anything you missed?"

Strago seemed to take a slight offence at this. He huffed,

"Fine. Come on, I'll show you." As he led them inside, Terra could hear him mumbling, "Oh, sure. I spend my whole life searching the world, but there _must_ be something I missed that only _they_ can spot. Honestly, this generation…"

He walked to his study and opened a small door that none of them had ever noticed before. Everyone's jaws nearly hit the floor when they saw what was inside. The whole room was stock full of maps, scrolls and charts. They were rolled up in bundles, spread over the only small table in the room and some were pinned on the wall.

Strago looked at his friend's faces and couldn't help but grin.

"Well, here they are. Over fifty years worth of geographic charts and detailed maps of every cave, mountain range and wasteland on the planet." He headed back outside, waving over his shoulder as he went. "Enjoy."

The Returners looked at the forest's worth of paper lying before them.

"This may take a while." Said Sabin.

(Many hours later…)

Setzer groaned and let his head fall to the table.

"I think my brain's stopped." His muffled voice came from the pile of papers his face was pressed against.

Locke was drawing on a blank sheet while looking at two very different maps. One was a map of the world as it had been before that little incident with Kefka and the statues, and the other was one that Setzer had drawn while they had been traveling the world afterwards.

"Okay, I got down every island or landmass that remained intact after the world ended." He had to stop and think for a moment about what he'd just said.

"Great. Now all we have to do is go through every one with a fine tooth comb." Celes said, gloomily.

"And we've already been to most of these places." Edgar added. "Hey, Strago." He called out the study window to where the old mage was dozing in the sun. "Didn't you do any exploring after the world changed?"

"Of course not." Strago replied. "I was too busy planning to overthrow that tyrant Kefka."

"No you weren't! You joined his cult!" Relm was standing by her easel, painting the landscape.

"Relm! How many times have I told you not to interrupt your elders!" Strago replied, going slightly red in the face.

Setzer rested his head on his hand.

"I don't think this is doing us any good." He said. "If the mages had a village above ground, I'm sure I would've spotted it from the _Falcon_. I've been everywhere in that ship."

"And we've spent more time underground than anywhere else in the past year." Locke added. "If their home was underground, we'd probably have fallen into it by now."

"What about water?" Everyone's attention was once again drawn to Gau, who was relaxing on the window sill. He looked at their expectant faces and smiled. "If they not on land or under it, they must be in water."

"What? You mean, living on the ocean floor and only coming up for air?" Relm commented, earning a small bop on the head from Strago.

"No, wait a minute." Terra spoke up. "Didn't Phunbaba first appear on the snake trench? And that was underwater until Kefka altered the world."

"Yeah, and Hidon lived on Ebot's Rock." Relm added. "He managed to survive just fine when it went underwater."

"Hmm, now that thou art mentioning it," Cyan rubbed his chin. "I do remember there being many underwater tunnels beneath the veldt."

"That's right." Said Sabin. If we hadn't had a map with us, showing the way to Narshe, we'd probably have never found our way through."

"And aren't monsters attracted to magic?" Locke's face was starting to brighten. "This would explain why there have always been so many monsters in the veldt! Yes!" He stood up and happily pounded the table. "Somebody slap my hand. I think we've done it!"

Everyone joined Locke in his celebrations, until they were interrupted by Strago.

"Hold it! In case you've all forgotten, you're talking about going underwater. Now I know you're not seriously considering swimming the whole way, and it's not like Setzer's airship can take you."

The sudden realization of what he was saying instantly killed everyone's good mood, except for Edgar, who seemed to be staring off into space with a slightly glazed look in his eye.

"So, what we'd need," He spoke more to himself than anyone else. "Is a ship that can sail _under _water."

"Oh boy, I know that look." Said Sabin.

Sure enough, Edgar suddenly grabbed a blank parchment, snatched Locke's pen from him and started scribbling furiously. Everyone just watched him, as he seemed to have forgotten they were all there. Terra made to ask him a question, but Sabin held up his hand and gave her a wink.

Finally, Edgar slammed the pen down.

"I have it!" He announced.

After a moment's silence, Locke spoke up.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what do you have?"

Edgar turned the parchment around so everyone could see. On it was a very detailed sketch of what looked like an airship.

"But we already have an airship." Said Setzer.

"It's not an airship!" Replied Edgar. "It's a ship that sails _under_ water! Look, these propellers drive it forward, like an airship, except the controls are on the inside. Also these tanks are hooked up to these pipes that keep it full of oxygen, and these smaller propellers can cause it to rise to the surface, where it acts like a normal boat. Do you see?"

Locke picked up the parchment and looked it over.

"You thought all this up just now?" He said, flabbergasted.

"My friend, you should know by now that I am a man of many talents. A wise and noble king, a legend among women, but most of all, a keen inventor."

"Not to mention, the proud owner of the world's biggest ego!" Celes whispered to Setzer.

"So, how long d'ya figure it'll take to build this thing?" Locke asked.

"Hmm, let's see. There's building materials, calculating the power of the propellers after estimating the gross weight…" Edgar looked like he was doing some calculations in his head. "I can have it ready in two weeks."

"Wow! That soon?" Edgar grinned at the look on Locke's face.

"Indeed. And once it's ready, we shall set off to find these mage warriors."

"We going on adventure?" Gau asked with a smile on his face.

"That's right, my boy." Setzer clapped him on the shoulder. "And I for one can't wait!"

Suddenly some barking sounded out. Everyone looked out the window to see Interceptor yapping his head off at a falcon that took off from Strago's roof in a hurry.

"Interceptor! Leave that poor birdie alone!" Relm said, sternly.

"That's strange. We don't get many falcons out here." Strago said to himself.

"So Strago, will you be coming with us?" Terra asked.

"Hmf! I suppose I'll have to. No telling what trouble you lot will get yourselves into without me."

Everyone laughed and Edgar rolled up the plans for their new vehicle, already going through in his head how to go about building it.


	6. 6

Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. Lousy exams! Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 6 

"Your majesty! I beg for you to reconsider!"

The chancellor followed Edgar down into the lower parts of Figaro Castle. After having cleared out the monster, that had left the castle trapped underground for a year, the palace workers had been able to repair the castle's engines and had even managed to add a rather spacious workshop. It was here that they were currently piecing together their king's newest brainchild. The Sub-Mariner.

Edgar looked up proudly at the half-finished transport. At this rate, it'd only be another week before they'd be ready to go. He wondered among the workers checking their progress and offering advice, only half-listening to the chancellor's desperate council.

"There are plenty of diplomats who I'm sure would be willing to take this task in the name of Figaro."

"Now what sort of message would that send to these people if our nation's monarchs weren't willing to talk to them face to face?" Edgar replied, while watching a small crane move building materials.

"But do you _both_ have to go!" The chancellor was practically pulling on his hat as he continued to try and reason with the young king.

"I already told you. I will not have my friends travel into the unknown alone." His blue eyes glinted as he smiled. "You know how lost they are without me."

"But surely your brother will be there with them." The chancellor replied.

"Yes, but you must understand. This is first and foremost a diplomatic mission. And, while I like to handle problems with a certain finece, my brother prefers a more… direct approach. Trust me, it'd be better if I was there."

The chancellor groaned. He wasn't that much older than Edgar, but he felt that he'd never understand this new generation. The most exciting thing the old King Figaro had ever done was have the carpet's colour scheme changed.

(Scene Change)

Terra stood on the rampart, pulling the cloak more tightly around her. She was often surprised at how cold the desert got at night. But the clear, cloudless sky helped her to forget that. She could see every star as bright as day. She couldn't help but wonder if any of those stars marked the realm of the espers. She was sure that they had gone to a new realm, or at least she hoped they had. She didn't want to think that they had simply vanished, or ceased to exist. She had felt such a bond with her father as she fought against Kefka with him. His strong spirit had helped her to stand her ground and fight, even when the battle seemed hopeless. She hated to think that that spirit might now be gone forever.

Suddenly, she was snapped out of her nostalgia. It'd been a year since she'd last done any magic. But that didn't mean she didn't still know what it felt like. She could feel it now, beneath her feet. It felt like a warp spell, but that was impossible!

Turning and hurrying to the stairs, Terra let her senses guide her. What worried her wasn't the fact that she was sensing magic, but that it didn't feel natural. You could usually tell who had cast a spell because their aura went into it. But the magic she had sensed just now, it's aura had been mixed. Like the magic didn't belong to the person who'd cast it.

(Scene Change)

Bazook threw the explosives up to Gorton. The bulky man then began laying the fuse line along the floor. Gorton meanwhile disappeared inside the Sub-Mariner, to set the explosives.

Bazook didn't see why Cerro didn't want these people finding their home. He, for one, was certain that they could easily destroy them all without a problem. Besides, if the stories about these particular people were true, there'd be plenty of magic to draw from them. But, he was the boss.

Terra peered round the doorway, into the workshop. She'd been in such a hurry to get down there that she'd forgotten she didn't even have a weapon. There was only one of them, but he looked pretty big, plus she could see a sword in his belt. He was knelt down, attaching a wire to a small box with a handle on it. Terra had a pretty good idea what that did.

He was nearly finished so there'd be no time to go get the others. Terra was just considering trying to sneak up on him, when her eyes wondered to a certain piece of equipment and a smile appeared on her face.

Bazook finished hooking up the fuse line. Now all he needed to do was wait for Gorton to finish up in the transport and they could – what was that sound? He looked up to see Terra standing on a control panel pulling down on a lever.

"Hey! What're you doing up there?" He yelled to the young woman.

Terra just smiled sweetly back at him and pointed to his right. Bazook turned to see what she was pointing at, just in time to get the back of a crane's hook smashed into his jaw! He sailed off his feet and landed flat on his back, eyes completely glazed over.

Terra hopped down off the panel. She cautiously made her way over to his prone form and waved her hand in front of his eyes. He was completely out of it. She took his sword out of his belt and used it to cut through the fuse line. She then headed over to the Sub-Mariner.

Jumping down through the top hatch, she spotted the explosive lying under what looked like the main controls. Just to be on the safe side, she figured it best that she take it out of the ship. She bent down to pick it up, but froze when she felt a blade against her throat!

"Hey there, fancy meeting you here."

Gorton pulled Terra's sword away from her and spun her around to face him, still with his sword at her throat. He grinned as he saw her face.

"Well, if it isn't the little esper? What a pleasant surprise." Gorton's beady eyes looked her up and down. "Cerro said you were young, but I still wasn't expecting this."

Terra was mentally kicking herself for assuming that the big guy had come alone. Now she was stuck with this slimy looking toadstool 'checking her out'. She needed to stall him until she could get clear of his sword.

"So, you're one of those mage warriors." She said. "I sensed your warp spell. How are you still able to use magic?"

Gorton grinned and brushed some hair out of Terra's face. She couldn't help but flinch in revulsion at his touch.

"Well, since you'll be coming along with me anyway, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you know. You see, we know about magic 'disappearing' from the world, what with that whole Kefka business. But, we also know that it is impossible for magic to simply disappear. It's just like matter. It can't be created or destroyed, just altered or perhaps sealed." His smile broadened as he began to lean closer to Terra. "Sealed in objects, or even people."

Terra was forced to step back as Gorton moved closer to her. His sword's blade pressed up dangerously against her skin. She soon found herself with her back against the Sub-mariner's wall. She was beginning to wish that she hadn't gotten this, clearly deranged, man started.

"Fortunately for us, we have developed the ability to draw magic from its' sources so that we may use it again."

A big part of Terra did not want to know the answer to the question she was about to ask, but it was too late to stop now.

"Draw? How do you do that?"

Gorton's hand suddenly grabbed the back of her head. His face twisted into a horrible smile.

"I'm glad you asked."

He then pulled his sword away but, before Terra could make a move, he leaned in and kissed her! Or, at least, it seemed at first like he was kissing her. His mouth was over hers. But within seconds Terra felt a numbing coldness spread throughout her body. Her legs felt weak and the only thing holding her up was Gorton's hand on her head.

Then, as suddenly as he had started, he stopped and pulled away. Terra slid down the wall to the floor, gasping for breath. Her chest was aching terribly and her vision was fuzzy. If she had been able to see clearly, she'd have noticed that the smile had disappeared from Gorton's face. It had been replaced by a look of surprise, which was then overtaken by anger.

"There's nothing there!" He snarled. He grabbed Terra by the hair and pulled her up to her knees. Gripping his sword, he spat at her,

"You're no esper; you're not even worth our time."

He made to run his sword right through her, but suddenly felt his own hair painfully yanked. His head was pulled back so that he was looking up. Right into the bright blue eyes of Edgar.

"Clearly sir, you do not know the proper way to treat a lady!"

Normally Edgar's face held a cheerful smile, but now it was darkened with anger. He turned and slammed Gorton's face into the wall then, with a strength an onlooker would've presumed he could not have, threw him up through the Sub-Mariner's top hatch. He then turned his attention to Terra.

"Are you alright, Terra?"

Terra managed to nod as she lent back against the wall.

"I'll be back shortly." Said Edgar. He bent down and picked up the sword Gorton had dropped. "Right after I give our guest a lesson in etiquette!"

He scaled the ladder out of the vehicle and leapt to the floor where Gorton was picking himself up. He tossed the sword so that it clattered by the mage's hand. Gorton looked up to see Edgar draw his own blade. The king stood in an en guarde position, with his sword pointed at an upward angle and his free arm behind his back.

"I'll have you know, it is considered very bad manners to enter another man's home without his prior consent."

Gorton couldn't believe his good luck. The fool was challenging him to a duel! What did he think this was? An opera scene? You had to love these royal types!

He grabbed his sword that the idiot had giving to him and charged in, swinging it madly. Gorton's sword attacks were both fast and powerful. His key to winning fights was his unpredictability. His opponents could never tell where he was going to strike. So imagine his surprise when, with one arm motion, Edgar sent his sword spinning across the room!

Gorton stood staring at the young monarch, who just nodded towards the weapon, indicating that he should go get it. Muttering something about a lucky swing, Gorton retrieved his sword and started his assault afresh.

Edgar did not possess his brother's amazing physical power, or Cyan's extensive knowledge of sword techniques, but he did have a talent that had helped him many times in and out of battle. Aside from being a genius inventor and irresistible to the female gender, he was also able to read people. Upon first meeting Kefka, he'd known the man was no good. When he'd first looked at Terra, he'd not only seen a beautiful woman, but a person with a tremendous inner strength. This gift served him well when he was fighting also. He was able to determine the person's frame of mind from their face. Right now, Gorton was angered, bordering on desperate. Add to that the fact that he had the glazed look of a clinically insane man, it was obvious he was going to try and catch Edgar off guard by coming at him from above, or from the side. And if you know where an attack is coming from, it's really a piece of cake blocking it.

Gorton kept swinging and slashing, but Edgar blocked every strike without problem. Suddenly, his free hand came from behind his back and he landed a left hook right across Gorton's jaw. The mage rolled across the floor, losing his sword yet again, and landed next to his unconscious partner, Bazook. Climbing to his feet, Edgar expected to see him reach for his sword again, but instead he clasped his hands together, index fingers up. Edgar's eyebrows rose. That looked like…

"Thundara!" Gorton thrust his hands forward and a bolt of lightning flew from his fingertips! Edgar just barely managed to move out of harm's way, but a big chunk of his cape got frazzled by the spell. Gorton started giggling and fired the lightning at Edgar again and again. Edgar was forced to take cover behind the crane. He pulled his crossbow out and held it ready. Unfortunately, the lightning was striking near his position so much he was pinned down.

Gorton was starting to feel dizzy. His magic power must've been running low. He decided to finish off that imbecile quick so he could use what he had left to warp back. He put his hands together like he had before, but this time his index and middle fingers were up.

"Thundag-arghh!" He screamed as his shoulder was pierced by the blade of a sword. He turned around to see Terra with Bazook's sword back in her hands. She was a little unsteady on her feet, but was gripping the handle firmly and she met Gorton's furious gaze with her own calm one.

Since Terra had a sword and Gorton didn't, plus Edgar was now back on his feet with his crossbow up, Gorton figured now was the time to make himself scarce. He quickly knelt down, placed his hand on Bazook's leg and performed the hand seal for warp. The two mages vanished, leaving Terra and Edgar alone in the workshop.

"Edgar, what were you doing in the Sub-Mariner anyway?" Edgar was helping Terra back to her room. She was still feeling woozy from what Gorton had done to her.

"Well my lady, you could call me somewhat of a perfectionist. I decided to see if there were any improvements that could be made to the interior of the vessel. However I ended up staying there later than I had intended, but your little confrontation with our 'guest' aroused me."

"Lucky for me." Said Terra. They arrived at her room and she stepped through the doorway.

"Y'know," She turned back to Edgar, who was standing in the hallway. "That was actually my first kiss. I'd always kind of hoped it would've been a more enjoyable experience."

"Oh, I beseech you my lady, please don't let it discourage you in the future. In fact, if you should ever wish to know how it is done properly, I would be more than happy to -"

"Goodnight, Edgar." Terra shut the door. She turned round, shaking her head but there was a smile on her face. Edgar really was a shameless flirt. But underneath that, he had a heart of pure gold. And frankly, Terra wouldn't want him any other way.


	7. 7

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. I'm glad I was able to get this chapter in so soon. The next one may be a while 'cos I'm leaving town for a few days. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Chapter 7 

"What?" Edgar found himself backed into a corner, overshadowed by a very irate Celes. "What the hell do you mean I'm not going?"

Speaking in a firm tone, Edgar tried his best not to let Celes' famously short temper, deter him.

"Look, you heard Terra. These mages have their sights set on replenishing their magic sources. And, since they now know that she's not an esper, they're going to be focusing all their attention on you. It would be too dangerous for you to simply walk in there."

"Excuse me. I have a question." The two of them turned to see Setzer raising his hand. Everyone was in the throne room. Terra had told them about the events of the night before, and they were all wondering if this would change their plans.

"So, are we still going to try and talk to these people? Even, after this?" Setzer asked.

"Yes. I haven't given up hope that this situation can be solved peacefully." Answered Edgar. He then turned back to Celes. "But it is still too dangerous for you to be there."

"So, what? I'm supposed to just sit here, while you all take the risk for me?" Celes waved her hand to everyone in the room. "If those mages want to try me, I'll be more than happy to let them. They can even come at me with magic spells! It won't do them any good!" She patted the rune blade at her side.

Edgar groaned and sat down on his throne with the chancellor standing next to him.

"I swear, it's infuriating. Trying to talk to someone who just won't listen to reason."

"I can't imagine what that's like, sire." The chancellor answered in a dry tone.

"Excuse me, but perhaps I can be of assistance." Locke and Terra nearly jumped out of their skins at the figure that suddenly appeared behind them.

"Gogo!" Celes walked over to greet their shrouded ally from the battle against Kefka. "What are you doing here?"

"And how did you get in?" Asked Edgar. "I had the guards doubled!"

Gogo shrugged his (or possibly her) shoulders.

"I have my ways." The mimic answered simply.

Locke sighed. Gogo certainly hadn't changed.

"I know of your predicament and I wish to help."

Edgar was about to ask how Gogo had known, but then decided it wouldn't do any good. Instead he simply asked in what way Gogo meant. The mimic turned his/her/whatever attention to Celes.

"If you would stand perfectly still, please?"

Celes gave the others a sideways look, but did as Gogo asked. Gogo stood directly facing Celes, just holding eye contact at first, then suddenly brought his/her/oh forget it hands together, palms flat and fingers straight. The Returners could hear their mysterious friend chanting softly, when a sudden puff of smoke enveloped the mimic. Everyone spluttered and waved their hands in front of their faces.

"Always has to dramatize it." Locke muttered to himself.

When the smoke finally cleared, Celes blinked her eyes and saw the very same eyes looking back at her. Everyone stared, agape, at Gogo. The mimic had transformed into an exact copy of Celes!

Gogo looked down at her (from now on I'm referring to Gogo as her, due to looking like Celes) changed body and a small smile graced her face.

"Oh good, this is actually the first time I've done this with a human."

Terra was the first to find her voice.

"Gogo, since when could you do that?"

Gogo answered in a voice that was exactly like Celes'.

"Well, after we defeated Kefka and saved the world, I decided it was time to return to my mimicry training. I thought it best to be prepared, should another threat arrive. And, as it turns out, I discovered a way to mimic a subject entirely, rather than just their attacks."

"It's amazing." Sabin circled the two Celeses. "You've got everything. Her voice, her clothes. You've even got her rune blade!"

Gau suddenly appeared and sniffed them both.

"They even smell the same." He said.

Celes stepped back at this, but Gogo didn't seem to mind.

"So, let me know if I'm guessing right." Edgar approached Gogo. "Are you volunteering to be a decoy for Celes?"

"If that is how you wish to phrase it, yes." Gogo answered with a calm smile. "Celes can go disguised as one of your soldiers and, should any attempt be made upon myself, at least the enemy will not acquire any magic from it."

"But Gogo, this could put you in real danger!" Celes didn't like the idea of Gogo getting hurt on her behalf. But the mimic still held her calm expression.

"I do not intend to put myself in any position where I would be vulnerable. And besides, in this form I have all your skills and abilities, as well as my own. I believe I am quite capable of defending myself."

"Well, if thou art absolutely sure about this?" Cyan asked, to which Gogo simply nodded. "It does seem like a reasonable plan of action."

"I'll make sure nothing happens." Locke looked at both Celes and Gogo. "To either of you."

(Four days later…)

Celes walked out into Figaro castle's front courtyard. She was dressed in the red and green uniform of the kingdom's soldiers. She'd tied her hair back and pinned it to the back of her head so that it would be hidden by the helmet she was carrying. There weren't any female soldiers in Figaro's army, so the helmet had a mask attached to it that would hide her face from the eyes down. Her rune blade hung in a scabbard by her side. The handle had black leather straps wrapped around in case the mages recognized it.

The others were standing around in the courtyard. Nearby were the _Falcon_ and the Sub-Mariner. Celes had to admit, the finished product didn't look half bad. It wasn't as big as the airship, due to them having to navigate through the underwater tunnels, but Edgar assured them, it would have enough room for everyone, even Umaro.

"I still don't see why Interceptor couldn't come!" Celes looked over to where Relm was arguing, as usual, with her grandfather.

"Relm, I've told you. Interceptor wouldn't be able to move about, like he could on the airship. He'd be all cooped up." Strago answered impatiently. "Don't worry. Gungho is taking care of Interceptor. He'll be fine."

"I was hoping I'd have some help taking care of _you_! But now, I'll have to do it all by myself!"

"How many times must I tell you to stop sassing your elders?"

Celes chuckled, shaking her head, and walked over to where Setzer was looking over some water charts with Locke and Sabin. As she approached, Locke looked up and raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, you look good in that uniform."

Celes gave him a sly smile then turned to Setzer.

"So, do you think the _Falcon_ will be able to carry this thing all the way to the Veldt?"

Setzer rolled up the chart he was reading, while smirking confidently.

"There is nothing the _Falcon_ cannot do. Besides," He added with a shrug. "I won't be carrying it all alone."

"Some of Vector's air force will be arriving soon to help out." Said Sabin. "I called in a few favors." He added with a wink.

"Alright. Are we nearly ready to go?" At the sound of Edgar's voice, everyone turned and immediately fell silent. They all just stared at the king with bemused faces. Even Gogo, still looking like Celes, seemed lost for words.

"Edgar, don't move." Sabin took one of Setzer's charts and rolled it up. He then held it like a club. "There's something on your head. Don't worry, I'll get it."

Edgar gave his brother a withering look.

"It's a cap." He said, pointing to his new headgear. "You know how naval officers have those hats to show their authority. This is what will be worn by Sub-Mariner captains from now on."

"What's that flat bit sticking out at the front?" Asked Celes. "It looks like a diving board."

"It's to keep the spray from the waves out of my eyes." Edgar explained.

"What waves? We'll be under water!" Said Setzer.

Terra put a hand over her eyes. They hadn't even left yet, and she already had a feeling that things were going to go wrong.

However, the flight to the Veldt went smoothly. Then Setzer, rather grudgingly, entrusted the _Falcon_ to Figaro's troops. Positioning the Sub-Mariner in the closest body of calm water they could find, the Returners went below deck and Edgar ordered his assembled crew to begin submerging.

A little uneasy at first, the adventurers soon discovered that they needn't have worried. Edgar's ingenuity had paid off and they were on their way.


	8. 8

Chapter 8 

Strago climbed up the ladder that led from the sleeping area to the control centre. He'd been getting a headache what with Relm's usual attitude and Locke complaining of seasickness. Though frankly, he didn't know how a person could get seasick when, technically, they weren't even at sea. They were under it.

It'd been a whole day since they had submerged and Edgar had assured them all that they were well on course. But Strago wouldn't put it past Edgar just to say that so he wouldn't have to tell them they were hopelessly lost.

The old mage looked around the control room. There were a number of panels and strange equipment, each being manned by a Returner. Strago noticed Gau was watching a screen which had a strange sweeping line going across it and a large dot in the middle. Sabin was at the front of the room sitting next to Cyan. Each of them was at a wheel similar to the one Setzer used to steer the _Falcon_. Speaking of Setzer, he was standing by the wall, upon which was pinned a map, which he was adding details to as Gau called them out.

Seated in the centre of the room was Edgar, still wearing that ridiculous cap. Strago walked up to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Edgar, I do not claim to be an expert on machines, but we seem to be missing something quite important."

"Oh?" The young king raised an eyebrow quizzically. "And what would that be?"

"A front window!" Strago pointed to where Sabin and Cyan were apparently steering the ship without any way of seeing where they were going. "I hope you're not going to tell me that you're steering us through a set of complicated underwater tunnels, purely on guesswork!"

"Of course not." Edgar stood up and motioned for Strago to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you how it works."

He walked up to the panel Gau was standing at.

"You know about my noiseblaster, right?" He asked Strago.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with seeing where we're going?" Strago replied.

"It's quite simple. Around the outside of the Sub-Mariner, I've fitted some modified noiseblasters. Not as powerful as the one I use in combat, but they emit sound waves that bounce back from solid objects, letting us know what's all around us." Edgar pointed to the screen which showed the shape of the tunnel they were currently traversing. "It's similar to how a bat finds it's way around in the dark."

The screen showed the tunnel splitting into two ahead of them.

"Fork ahead!" Gau called out loudly.

"Yes, thank you Gau." Edgar waggled his finger in his ear.

"Where abouts are we, Setzer?"

The silver haired gambler picked up one of his maps and held it next to the one he'd been filling in.

"By my calculations, if we take the right tunnel, we'll be heading towards the centre of the Veldt."

"That sounds promising to me." Said Edgar. "Alright Sabin, Cyan. Hard a starboard."

"Aye, aye!" Sabin answered with a grin. He was enjoying himself. Cyan, on the other hand, was still not entirely comfortable with handling machines. No offense to Sir Gau, but it also made him slightly nervous that the boy's excited commands of "Arrrgh, stop!" and "Uuooo, left!" were the only things that kept them from crashing into the tunnel walls.

"Uh, oh." Everyone looked up as Gau started jumping up and down and tapping the screen. "Edgar, Edgar!"

"What in Gaia's name is the matter, Gau?" Edgar joined him, yet again, at the panel, with Strago peering over his shoulder. Gau continued hopping from foot to foot, and pointing at the screen.

"Lot's of little thingies coming towards big thingy! We big thingy, right?"

Indeed, the screen now showed a large number of smaller blips moving towards their position. Edgar moved back to the centre of the room and reached up to a small hook on the ceiling. He gave it a tug and down came a metal cylinder with an eyepiece at the bottom. He turned his cap around so he could look through it.

"Oh dear." He said.

"What? What's 'oh dear'?" Strago asked.

Edgar hurriedly sat back down and gripped the sides of his chair.

"You all might want to hold on to something."

(Scene Change)

"Uhhh, I think I'm gonna be sick!" Locke was sitting on his bunk with one hand on his stomach and the other covering his mouth. Celes was sitting next to him, rubbing his back.

"Honestly Locke, you can be such a baby sometimes!" She said.

Locke gulped and fixed her with a glare.

"_I'm_ a baby? You're the one who's still afraid of the dark!"

"I am _not_ afraid of the dark! I just like to know what's going on around me. Besides, I don't know what you're complaining about. The ship isn't even moving."

At that moment, (of course) the Sub-Mariner suddenly tilted sharply to the side! Locke and Celes fell back against the wall of Locke's bunk. Terra and Relm ended up in a similar position on Terra's bunk, where they had been playing cards, and Mog, Umaro and Gogo were all thrown to the floor.

"What was that?" Gogo started to get back up, only to be knocked down again by a second shudder.

A hatch opened and Strago climbed down to join them, only just making it before a third jolt forced him to his knees.

"Monsters. A whole swarm of them are attacking the ship. Edgar said he was ready for this, and for everyone to just hold on tight."

"What's he going to do?" Asked Terra.

"How should I know? You're just gonna have to trust him." Strago grabbed Relm and held her close to him as he braced himself against the wall.

"Okay, now I _know_ I'm gonna be sick!" Locke moaned.

(Scene Change)

Anguiforms. The eel-like monsters grouped together in a big swarm and rammed into the Sub-Mariner. Sabin and Cyan were just able to keep it from being smashed into the wall.

'This bunch seems surprisingly well organized.' Edgar thought to himself as he watched their movements through the eye-piece.

"Sabin, are you ready with the launchers?"

"Ready and willing, brother!" Sabin answered with a grin.

Edgar watched the anguiforms regroup once more.

"Fire!"

Two panels opened up on the side of the Sub-Mariner. Helping to carry the ship hadn't been the only favor Sabin had asked of the Vector Air force. Rockets shot out at the monster swarm, ploughing into them and exploding on impact. Since the anguiforms were so close together, each explosion took out three or four of them.

When the clouds of smoke had cleared, Edgar could see the few remaining monsters swimming away, down the tunnel.

"There, that wasn't so bad." He dusted his hands off. "Good shooting, Sabin."

"Something else coming!" Gau started pointing at his panel again. "This much bigger!"

Edgar looked through the eyepiece again. Sure enough, something was coming. As it approached, Edgar was able to make out it's features.

"It can't be." He said out loud.

"What?" Asked Sabin. "What is it?"

"It's a cephaler." Edgar answered.

Sabin arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"You mean one of those little squid thingies?" He said. "What's so dangerous about that?"

"What's dangerous is that it's as big as a house and it's tentacles are coming right for us!"

There was a series of violent shudders and the sound of groaning metal filled the room. Cyan tried the controls.

"They won't budge! Yonder monster must have it's vile appendages tethered to our vessel!"

"If that means it's got it's tentacles wrapped around us then we're in big trouble!" Said Setzer.

"Can we still attack with our rockets?" Edgar asked.

"Nay, the launchers are blocked." Said Cyan.

"Plan B then." Said Sabin. "Come on, Gau."

"Uuooo!" Gau bounded over to the ladder and began following Sabin down below.

"Where are you two going?" Said Edgar

"Outside. To kill that thing before it crushes us." Sabin replied.

"Outside! At this depth? You'll barely be able to move!" Exclaimed Setzer.

"Don't worry. We strong. Mr Thou and Gau train under waterfalls." Gau answered cheerfully as he and Sabin disappeared down the hatch.

"So that's what they were doing on their trips to the country." Said Cyan. "Nature hike indeed!"

(Scene change)

Sabin and Gau had changed out of their royal clothing before boarding the Sub-Mariner. Sabin was in his fighting gear; a dark blue sleeveless shirt, white pants and black shoes. Gau wore something of a similar style; his shirt was white and he had donned some brown shorts. His feet were bare.

The two of them jumped down the last few rungs of the ladder. Sabin continued on down the corridor, while Gau stuck his head into the sleeping quarters.

"Umaro, Mr Thou say we need your help." He said.

"Kupo! What's happening?" Mog squeaked.

"Squid monster crushing ship. Mr Thou going out to fight."

"I'm coming too!" Celes reached for her rune blade and Locke grabbed his own sword, instantly forgetting about his sea sickness. Gau shook his head.

"No. Setzer say water very heavy down here. Mr Thou and Gau used to heavy weights and Umaro have giga strength. We do okay."

Umaro gave a small roar and followed Gau down the corridor.

"Be careful, you guys." Locke called after them.

"Kupo! Umaro, _don't _throw Sabin or Gau!"

Author's notes: In the next chapter; the fight against the giant cephaler! Thanks again to everyone who's read and reviewed. Keep those opinions coming. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but it's exam time, boo!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Sabin reached into a small cupboard and pulled out three breathing masks with a pair of large goggles each. They also had small tanks of air attached to them that could be worn on a person's back. He'd had them made for the trip using the old breathing helmet he, Gau and Cyan had used on their own underwater adventure over two years ago.

He pulled his on, just as Gau and Umaro arrived in the room. He had Gau shut the door tightly and then opened the hatch in the floor. Some sea water lapped around their ankles, but the air pressure kept the room from being flooded. Once Gau and Umaro had their breathing equipment on, the three fighters jumped into the water.

They could see the cephaler with it's tentacles locked around their ship. The small quivers of it's limbs gave away it's intentions. It wanted to crush the Sub-Mariner.

"Okay, first we need to get it off the ship, and then we destroy it." Said Sabin. "So it's important that you two keep control of yourselves. No rages." Gau and Umaro both nodded. They knew that they had a tendency to lose themselves in a fight. Mog and Sabin had been trying to help them overcome this since the battle with Kefka. They'd be okay as long as they didn't lose their focus.

Swimming up towards the monster's face, Sabin called out to Gau,

"We'll try to loosen it's grip. You go for it's eyes."

"Uuooo!" Gau's lithe body cut through the water like a knife as he sped towards his target. Pulling up in front of one of the cephaler's bulbous eyes, he cupped his hands together above his head and focused his ki (life-force; not magic) in-between his palms, just like Sabin had taught him to.

"Aura Bolt!" He brought his hands down and a white beam of energy shot from between his palms. It hit the cephaler's eye dead on and exploded! When the bubbles cleared, the monster's eye was closed and horribly marked but Gau was surprised to see that it hadn't loosened it's grip on the Sub-Mariner at all. What surprised him even more was the fact that when the aura bolt had hit, the creature hadn't even cried out!

Sabin and Umaro were both trying to pry one of the cephaler's tentacles off of the ship's hull. Together, they were able to lift it so that a small gap was visible underneath.

"Umaro, I need to get under it. Do you think you can hold this?" Sabin's voice was strained from the effort of heaving on the giant limb. Umaro gave an affirmative grunt and wrapped his well-built arms around the tentacle, allowing Sabin to duck down under it. The white yeti let out a roar and summoned forth all of his phenominal strength, as he was the only thing that was keeping the cephaler from crushing his human friend.

Sabin was slightly less that comfortable, having to bend double to fit into the small space Umaro had made for him. But he forced himself to forget his discomfort and focus on his energy. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, hands straight like blades. Letting his ki flow into his hands and forearms, he swept them out to either side of him and cried out,

"Air Blade!"

True to the Blitz's name, blades of air shot out of Sabin's arms. They sliced clean through the monster's tentacle, allowing Umaro to heave the severed limb up and away from the Sub-Mariner.

Seeing one of it's appendages floating away from it seemed to finally alert the cephaler to the Returners' presence. Focusing it's remaining eye on Gau, the monster tossed the Sub-Mariner aside.

"Yaaargh!" Sabin and Umaro clung on tightly, as the Sub-Mariner spun through the water and hit the wall of the tunnel. The cephaler spread it's tentacles wide, opened it's beaked mouth and a stream of bubbles shot out at Gau. Fortunately, the former wild child's reflexes saved him. He shifted his centre of gravity and let himself drop down to the tunnel floor. The bubbles jetted over his head and crashed into the far wall, leaving a sizeable hole in the rock.

(Scene change)

The Returners in the sleeping quarters were painfully removing themselves from whatever position the Sub-Mariner's, less than graceful, descent had left them in.

"Oh, I give up! Just make a space for me to die in!"

"Locke, will you stop moaning and get off me!" Celes said from under his limp form.

"Kupo! And will you both get off of me!"

Terra was sitting by the wall, rubbing her head, when something caught her attention.

"Do you guys hear something?"

Everyone else listened. There was indeed a strange sound.

"I don't wish to alarm anyone." Said Gogo. "But it sounds to me that our ship may have sprung a leak."

"If you didn't want to alarm anyone, then you shouldn't have said that!" Answered Relm.

Locke, once again forgetting his nausea in the face of a crisis, jumped to his feet and rushed out the door. Following his ears, he arrived at the Sub-Mariner's engine room. He pulled the door open and saw, to his horror, that it was steadily filling with water. Some pipes had sprung leaks and the engines were making small screeching sounds. Everyone else appeared behind him and saw the damage.

"What do we do now?" Said Celes.

"Relm, you go get Edgar and Setzer. The rest of us will try to block up these holes." Locke jumped down into the engine room, the water already coming up to his knees. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around one of the leaking pipes, securing it with his bandanna. The others all set to work as well, while Relm headed up towards the control centre.

(Scene Change)

Edgar and Cyan each had an eye in the Eye-Piece, as Edgar called it. They were watching Sabin, Gau and Umaro do battle with the cephaler. The water was filled with Aura Bolts, bubbles, Air Blades and large rocks Umaro was picking up from the tunnel floor and heaving at their enemy.

Setzer was standing behind them, trying in vain to see what was going on.

"Watch out, Sir Sabin! By Shiva, that was close!"

"Gau, above you! Yes, that's the way!"

"If you two aren't going to let me see, at least tell me what's happening!"

"Edgar! Setzer!" The three men turned to see Relm sticking her head up out of the ladder hole. "We've got a problem!" She said.

"What is it?" Asked Edgar.

"Your 'perfectly-built' ship has sprung a leak!" She replied. "The engine room is filling up with water! We need you and Setzer down there a-sap!"

The king and the gambler followed Relm down below. Cyan went to follow, but stopped. He had no expertise with machines and wouldst probably just get in the way. He looked at his Aura blade as it rested in it's sheath beside his chair. He'd much rather be outside, fighting the cephaler with his comrades. But Setzer had told them all that the water pressure at these depths could be dangerous for an ordinary human and Cyan wasn't a young man anymore.

He looked through the Eye-Piece again, and gasped at what he saw. The cephaler had Umaro in it's grasp. The yeti was struggling with all his might against the tentacles that threatened to squeeze the life out of him, but Cyan could see he was slowly loosing the fight. He could also see something else.

Above the cephaler's eyes something glimmered. In fact there was a faint glow every time the creature applied pressure to poor Umaro. Sabin and Gau hadn't noticed it because they were busy trying to free their friend, while avoiding getting grabbed themselves.

Cyan watched as the tide of battle began to shift against the Returners. He then looked again at his Aura blade.

"Oh, as I believe the saying goeth, to Hell with it!"

Grabbing his sword and fastening it around his waist, Cyan began scaling down the ladder to the lower levels. Regardless of personal risk, a knight never let his brothers do battle alone.

(Scene Change)

Edgar waded towards one of the main pipes which was spraying water constantly, despite his friends' efforts to block it up. Setzer took off his coat and followed him.

"We need turn off the main engines and disengage these pipes. It's the only way." Edgar took a spanner from his belt and began loosening the pipes. Setzer set to work as well. He was constantly blinking and shielding his eyes from the gushing water.

"Gods, I can barely see a thing!" He said.

"Well, it's a good thing _one_ of us came prepared." Edgar tweaked the peak of his cap and grinned. "I'll handle the pipes. You shut down the main engine."

Setzer got up and went along the small gangplank that led to the main engine. He opened up the panel on the machine, and jumped back as an anguiform nearly bit his head off! The small monster slithered out of the engine and reared up in front of the gambler, it's teeth bared.

Setzer began to reach for his playing cards, but then remembered that they were in his coat pocket. Seeing the creature coil up, getting ready to strike, Setzer's hand went to his belt where a very small slot machine hung.

'Let's see if you're still smiling on me, Lady Luck.' He thought to himself as he pushed down the tiny lever. Setzer could _feel_ the turn of the slots that he, literally, put his life into.

The anguiform launched itself at Setzer, ready to sink it's teeth into his throat. But, in mid-air, the creature was sliced to ribbons as beams of light shaped as playing cards sprang up from the floor. What was left of the monster fell to the floor and the 'cards' disappeared. Setzer gave small sigh of relief. His lucky 7-flush never let him down.

Heading back to the engine, Setzer surveyed the damage. The anguiform had burrowed it's way in from the outside. Fortunately, a failsafe hatch had closed keeping the engine from being flooded. But that hadn't done anything against the monster's angry thrashing.

"Hey, Setzer!" Edgar's voice called out to him. "I've managed to disengage the pipes. Is the main engine shut off?"

"Oh yeah, it's off." Setzer called back. "The problem will be getting it back on again!" He added, quietly, to himself.

(Scene Change)

Umaro's arms were burning, but he continued to push back against the tentacles that were closing in from all sides. He could hear the sounds of fighting going on, indicating that Sabin and Gau were trying to get the cephaler to let go of him, but the monster had complete control of the fight.

Sabin growled between his teeth. This thing seemed to be getting smarter as the battle progressed. It was now holding Umaro in front of it, ready to place him in front of any attack he or Gau threw at it. Sabin was fast running out of ideas.

"Uuooo!" Gau suddenly swam up to him. "It's Cyan! Cyan's coming!"

"What!" Sabin turned to see their friend was indeed swimming towards the cephaler. The monster hadn't noticed him because he was coming from it's blind side.

"What does he think he's doing? He can't last long in this kind of pressure!"

"He coming to save Umaro!" Gau then started waving his arms about and howling at the cephaler.

"What are _you_ doing?" Sabin then asked.

"Distracting monster for Cyan. Uuooo!"

The cephaler spread it's tentacles and opened it's beak.

"Oh good, it only looking at us. Mr. Thou better move."

The bubbles once again sprayed out of the cephaler's mouth, narrowly missing the two fighters.

Cyan could feel the water pressure pushing down on him. His limbs were already aching and his breathing echoed in the mask he wore as painful gasps. But he could see what had caught his attention back in the Sub-Mariner. There appeared to be something wrapped around the cephaler's head.

As he neared his target, he drew his Aura blade and prepared to strike, when suddenly the cephaler turned and whacked him with a tentacle! He spun through the water, but managed to right himself. The cephaler was coming right at him, ready to ensnare him just like Umaro.

"Watch out, Cyan!" Gau screamed.

"Get the hell outta there!" Yelled Sabin.

But Cyan held his position. Gripping his Aura blade in both hands, he focused his energy until his body's outline shone with a white glow. The cephaler reached out to grab the knight, but he suddenly vanished! There was a slash and one of the monster's tentacles simply detached from it's body. A second and third swipe followed and the limbs holding Umaro floated away. Cyan reappeared on the cephaler's head and delivered the final blow in his Quadra Slam technique. His sword swung down and sliced clean through the band around the monster's head. As it fell away, the cephaler instantly began shrinking.

Feeling the pressure on him, once again, Cyan dropped down to the tunnel floor. His sword landed not far from him but, due to the exertion of performing the Quadra Slam under such pressure, Cyan couldn't reach for it.

There was a horrible squeal. The cephaler was much smaller now, but it was still the size of a full-grown man. It's eye suddenly seemed a whole lot clearer, and it seemed to have only now become aware of it's injuries. Since Cyan was the closest to it, the cephaler decided to take it's rage out on him.

Cyan looked up to see the monster rear above him, with it's remaining tentacles flailing and it's beak wide open. Unable to move, he shut his eyes and said a silent farewell to his friends. But he was interrupted by a terrifying roar. Opening his eyes again, he saw Umaro standing in front of him, pushing the cephaler back.

The yeti braced himself against the ground, gritting his teeth beneath his mask. The cephaler threw it's full weight upon him, causing his knees to bend. Umaro could feel himself slipping and it angered him. While on the outside, he appeared to be a dumb animal, Umaro held great pride in his strength and the fact that he never gave up in battle. Tightening his grip on the monster, Umaro gave an almighty heave with his powerful leg muscles and pushed them both off the ground. Using his momentum, Umaro began to spin in the water, swinging the cephaler around by it's tentacles. They moved so fast that soon they were both just a blur.

With a final roar, Umaro flung the monster so that it sailed through the water until it crashed against the tunnel wall. It's shell was smashed and it's crumpled remains drifted back down to Earth.

(Scene Change)

With the Sub-Mariner out of danger (for now) everyone gathered around the water hatch to welcome the fighters back on board. Umaro came up first, with Sabin behind him. Sabin was helping Cyan. He laid the knight down on the floor and took his mask off.

"Take it easy, Cyan. Just breathe. There doesn't seem to be any serious damage."

"We saw what you did through the portholes." Said Celes. "That was a really gutsy move."

"Yeah, not bad for an old guy – Ow!"

Relm rubbed her head while Strago tutted.

"Hey, where's Gau?" Said Setzer.

Right on cue, the boy popped his head out of the water and held his hand up.

"Look what Gau got!" He was holding a small brown leather band in his fist.

"What's that?" Asked Edgar.

"It what Cyan cut off of monster. It shrink when monster shrink."

Gau climbed out of the water and held it out for everyone to see. Locke narrowed his eyes.

"Is it just me, or does that look a lot like -?"

"It is." Terra pushed past the others and snatched the band from Gau. Everyone was a bit taken aback by this uncharacteristic behavior. Terra's fists clenched around the object in her grip and her eyes, which were usually gentle and caring, were now narrowed in anger at what she was looking at.

It was a slave crown.

(Hey guys. Thanks again for your reviews and words of encouragement. I'm sorry to say I'm going to be really mean and leave you hanging for a while. I'm going traveling for about two months, which obviously means the next update is going to be a while. But rest assured, I never, ever, leave a story unfinished so I will start work on the next chapter as soon as I return. Bye, and thanks again.)


	10. Chapter 10

(Sorry for the looooong wait. Certain… let's call them complications… arose and I wound up away from home longer than expected. But I'm back now, safe and sound, and ready to continue my story.)

Chapter 10

Celes lent against the wall of the engine room. She had her eyes closed and was mentally going over all the events that had befallen her since she first met Locke and the rest of the Returners. A certain pattern seemed to arise, the more she thought about it. After nearly every danger or catastrophe, the miss-matched group had overcome, another would seem to appear in it's place.

Take now, for example. The cephaler was gone, but had left a potentially more serious problem.

"Arrrgh! Setzer, what have you done to my engines!"

Setzer's scarred face was a real sight as he turned to Edgar.

"_Me_! I didn't do anything! It was a monster that clawed it's way in! In fact, if I hadn't destroyed it, it would've done a lot more damage! You should be thanking me!"

"Okay, okay!" Locke could see where this was going, so he put himself in-between the two. "Let's forget about how this happened and focus on what we're going to do now. Edgar, do you think you can fix this?" He pointed over his shoulder to the engine.

Edgar took a breath to compose himself and inspected the damage.

"Hmm, I could probably get us a little bit of power, but only enough for about an hour."

"Well then, we'd better find a place where we can surface." Said Sabin. "Gau, get back to the radar and let us know the instant you spot anything."

"Uuooo!" The boy bounded off, back to the control center.

Edgar and Setzer set to work on the engine. The others helped as best they could. Soon the Sub-Mariner was moving again, but this time it was much slower, and this time they had a time limit.

(Scene Change)

The slave crown was a device which had been invented by the Vector Empire to control the monsters it sometimes used in it's army. There were occasions when it had been used on humans, but most of them had suffered brain damage as a result.

Terra had been fortunate enough to recover from her own experience under it's control with nothing but amnesia. She'd been glad when she had recovered her memory. She'd finally known for sure who she was. But she'd also remembered what she'd done.

Since she was very young, Terra had been trained to be a soldier for the Vector Empire. There was the usual routine of weapons training and drills. And, as if that wasn't tough enough, Terra had to go through a 'special' training course.

Her power of fire magic was a mystery, even to her. It didn't always work when she tried to use it, and sometimes it would spark up without her realizing it. One incident involved a trainer she'd been particularly afraid of. She'd seen him beat cadets when they made mistakes, as an incentive to get better.

Once, during sword training, she'd lost her grip on her weapon mid-swing, and it had missed the trainer's head by inches. He'd marched straight up to her, grabbed her arm and raised his fist. She'd instinctively put her hand up to shield the blow when suddenly flames shot out of her palm and set the man's hair alight!

She hadn't done it on purpose. In fact, that little episode had given her teachers an idea. It seemed her powers acted as a defense mechanism, kicking in when she felt afraid or threatened. So they'd thought up a new training scheme. Terra would have to stand in a deep, wide pit and a vicious dog would be set on her!

This new training not only brought Terra's power to the surface but also forced her to gain control over it, as each 'opponent' was slightly larger or meaner than the last.

All of this would probably have been more bearable for Terra, if not for the loneliness that came with it. All the other cadets knew about Terra's power and, since magic wasn't a common sight in the world, they regarded her as some kind of freak or witch.

She remembered when they were given days off. She would sit on a bench in the park and watch all the other children walk past. They were all with people; parents, siblings, friends, none of which Terra had. No one ever came over to talk to her and, on the rare occasion that someone actually looked over at her, the expression on their face was anything but friendly.

This existence continued up until she was a teenager. That was when things changed. She'd already done a few routine missions for the Empire; nothing that involved using her magic. (For which she was glad.) But one day, her team was sent to apprehend members of a rebel faction. For every government that's ever existed, there's always been opposition to it, so the troops didn't see this faction as a huge threat.

Finding the meeting point was easy; it was just a small house that belonged to one of the members. They offered little resistance. One of them tried to charge the troops' commanding officer, but he was easily put down. Terra was surprised when their commander told the rebels they were being placed under house arrest. She was sure they were going to take them into custody.

After the doors and windows were all secured, from the outside, it seemed like they were leaving. Suddenly the commander turned to Terra and told her it was time to use her power. Terra wasn't sure she understood him. The mission was over, they weren't under attack. What was there to use her magic against? Then she saw the commander's eyes were focused on the house. He couldn't be serious!

Terra had never killed a human before. Even the burned bodies of the dogs and monsters she'd been forced to fight had made her feel sick. Now she was being ordered to kill – no, murder – a houseful of people.

"Is there something wrong with your hearing, soldier! I gave you an order. Now follow it!"

Maybe it was teenage rebellion kicking in. Maybe Terra had finally had enough of the yelling, the training that bordered on torture, the loneliness and isolation. Maybe what she was being asked to do went against the ethics that, up to now, she didn't know she'd had. Whatever it was, it caused her to look her commander in the eye and say, "No."

The man didn't explode like she'd half expected him to. He just returned her gaze and said,

"Listen girl, it's as simple as this. Either you obey our orders willingly, or we'll make you."

At these words, Terra felt angrier then she ever remembered feeling. 'Make' her? She wasn't a child anymore. They couldn't _make_ her do anything! Hell, they couldn't even make her stay in their stupid army. She'd never chosen the life of a soldier; it had been forced upon her. Her fists clenched at her sides. She was through with this. She was tired of being what everyone else wanted. It ended now.

"I said, no!"

She threw a punch right to the commander's face. He simply sidestepped, easily dodging the punch, while at the same time his own fist smashed into her stomach.

Terra's mouth opened, but no sound came from it. As soon as the soldier removed his fist, she sank to her knees and then fell flat on the ground.

So much for heroics.

"You're lucky you're an endangered species." Those were the last words Terra heard before she blacked out.

What happened next was like a nightmare. Thanks to the slave crown, Terra was robbed of all conscious thought. She was just like the weapons the Empire soldiers used. Unthinking and unfeeling. Under the Emperor's command, she wiped out 50 of their own soldiers as a _test_! That was how much Gesthal valued the lives of others. And as for the defenders of Narshe; all they had were rifles and a few dogs, up against three of the Empire's dreaded Magitech Armor. They never stood a chance.

Now Terra sat on the floor of the engine room. Her back against the wall and the slave crown, Gau had recovered, in her hand. The only other person in the room was Edgar, trying his best to keep the engines going. Everyone else was either in the sleeping area or the control room.

Edgar put his wrench down, lifted his cap up and wiped his forehead. He'd done all he could do. He looked over towards Terra. Her eyes were fixed on the slave crown that her fist was curled tightly around.

"You do know, if you grip that any tighter, we're going to have to remove it surgically."

Terra looked up, as if noticing him for the first time. Her grip did loosen though.

"I was just thinking." She said. "About how much pain a small band like this can cause."

Edgar sat down beside her. He knew exactly what she was talking about. The two of them sat in silence for a while.

"This changes things." Terra suddenly spoke up. "The fact that Cerro knew about me and Celes was enough to show that he had some affiliation with the Empire. But this," She held up the slave crown again. "This is different. Just how deeply was he involved with them?"

"Terra." Edgar placed his hand over hers. "You mustn't forget. We're going to try and talk to these people. Open up relations. I'm not happy about what you've been though, but it is my duty to try and find a peaceful means to end this."

"I know." Terra replied. "But still, whatever happens, I want to see him. I want to meet Cerro face to face."

Edgar's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Terra. The expression on her face wasn't an angry one. It was a sure one. She'd worn that expression just before she attacked Phunbaba, in order to protect her friends… and won.

It had been there when she had challenged Shadow, a deadly assassin, in the colosseum… and won.

And it had been there when she had faced Kefka, after he had practically turned himself into a god… and won.

'I don't know who this Cerro person is,' Edgar thought to himself. 'But I would sure hate to be in his shoes.'

(There you go. I know this chapter's a bit shorter than my others, but I really didn't want to make the wait any longer. I'll get straight to work on Chapter 11, and hopefully have it up in about a week.)


	11. Chapter 11

(Man, I'm flakey! Barely a day after I decide to leave this story on hiatus, and I suddenly get my enthusiasm back! Oh well, temperamental authors. Anyway, the updates are going to be a little farther apart because I've started another story and am going to be working on that the same time as this.)

Chapter 11 

"Uuooo, uuooo, uo, uo, uuoooo!"

"Gau, if you need a bathroom break, just say so." Sabin called over his shoulder as he and Cyan concentrated on steering the Sub-Mariner.

"No, no! Gau found opening!" The teen pointed at the radar screen. Setzer came over and looked at the panel.

"He's right." He said. "To the left, the tunnel curves upward. It may lead to one of those caverns you guys came across before."

"Alright then, let's go for it." Said Sabin. "Gau, guide us in."

The others all felt the Sub–Mariner tilt upwards. Their relief that they weren't going to break down in the water was overshadowed by the prospect of another surprise waiting for them up top.

Breaking through the water's surface, the Sub-Mariner's propellers pushed it up the flat rock slope until it was halfway out of the water. Edgar shut down the engines and, one by one, everyone climbed out of the top hatch.

Once on solid ground, the group took a look at their surroundings. The cavern they were in was massive. They could see several tunnels branching out in different directions. Mog ran a paw over the wall of one of the tunnels.

"Kupo! I don't think these tunnels are natural." He said.

"How would you know?" Asked Locke. Mog's pom-pom shook with indignation.

"You may think you're an expert on the underground, treasure boy, but I was born and raised in tunnels! Kupo! If these tunnels were natural, then the grains would run in a horizontal line. These are curved, as if the walls were bored through."

On closer inspection, the group discovered that the other tunnels had the same characteristics Mog had described.

"Well then, it looks like we may have found the place we've been looking for." Said Sabin. He looked around at all the different tunnels. "Question is, which direction do we go?"

"Oh, I know what they're going to say." Strago muttered to himself.

"Well, it seems we have only one course of action." Said Edgar.

"Here it comes."

"People, we're splitting up."

"Why do we always have to separate!" Strago threw his hands into the air. "Haven't you people ever heard of safety in numbers!"

"Oh relax, you old geezer! I'll protect you." Relm said, with her hands on her hips.

The group split into three teams, which would spread out and explore a different part of the cavern. If they found anything, they were to come back and regroup with the others.

Gau, Strago, Relm, Mog and Umaro made up one group. Edgar, Sabin, Cyan and Setzer made up the second. This left Locke, Celes, Terra and Gogo as the third.

'How come Locke gets to go with the ladies?' Edgar thought to himself as his team took off down one of the tunnels.

"See you guys later." Sabin called out to the others.

"Don't forget where we're parked." Setzer added.

(Scene Change)

As Terra and her group ventured deeper into the cavern, it began to grow darker. Fortunately, Locke always carried material for a torch. He held it up high so that they could see where they were going.

"Say we come across these mages." Said Terra. "What are we going to say to them?"

"I think we should start with telling them how we exterminated those monsters they sent." Said Celes. "An early show of strength helps wonders in negotiations." Celes had the mask under her helmet up, but her eyes gave away the slight smirk on her face.

"I think you may have negotiations confused with occupation." Gogo commented. "Besides, I believe it would be wrong to assume that all the mages share the same ideals as this Cerro. We should best deal with the situation as it comes."

"Sounds good to me." Said Locke.

Celes gave a small shrug. 'Fine. If you want to take advice from someone we found living inside a giant sandworm.' She thought to herself.

They kept walking for, what seemed like, an hour. Then, the light from Locke's torch finally showed up something interesting. The tunnel had come to a dead end, but on the wall in front of them were dozens of carvings. No pictures that they could make out, but plenty of patterns such as spirals and wavy lines.

"What do you think this is?" Asked Terra.

"Possibly some kind of old language." Answered Gogo. "It would stand to reason that the mages of old had their own vocabulary. Where else would the incantations for our spells have come from?"

Locke's eyes followed the lines and patterns. He noticed that they didn't all flow in the same direction, but rather conjugated into one place. That one place was a small circle. Now Locke knew a door mechanism when he saw one. He grinned and turned to his companions.

"Stand back, girls… and Gogo." He placed his hand on the circle and pushed… and nothing happened. Still valiantly keeping his grin up, he pushed harder. Still nothing.

Terra and Gogo stood blinking as Locke placed his other hand on the wall, and then threw his shoulder to it. Celes had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Finally she grabbed the back of Locke's jacket and pulled him away from the wall.

"Locke, do you honestly think, with all their power, the old mages would make the entrance to their home so easy to – Whoa!" Celes had put her hand against the wall to lean against, when the carvings suddenly lit up with a blue glow. Celes pulled her hand away and the glow disappeared.

Everyone stared at the wall for a few seconds, and then Terra slapped her palm with her fist.

"Of course. It must be activated by magic. That way, only the mages get in. Celes' infusion must be awakening it."

"Indeed. Celes, place your hand on the circle and try holding it there." Said Gogo.

Celes ignored the triumphant smile on Locke's face and put her hand against the stone. The carvings lit up again but, this time, they started to move across the wall. Everyone stood transfixed as they spun and merged together, until they finally formed an image.

An image of a face, pulling it's lower eyelid down and sticking it's tongue out at them.

"Well, that can't be good." Said Celes.

Just then, everyone screamed as the floor opened up beneath them and they fell into the darkness below.

(Scene Change)

Setzer yawned loudly as he followed his group through the tunnel they'd chosen.

"What time is it?" He asked.

Edgar pulled out a pocket watch.

"Twelve O' clock." He said, though he had no idea whether it was midnight or midday. "That means we've been walking for about an hour and a half."

"It certainly feels like longer" Said Cyan. Having nothing to stare at but dark tunnel walls was beginning to get boring, even for him. Edgar had managed to fashion a torch from some bits and pieces in his pockets, (Cyan often wondered how he was able to conceal so much on his person) but it did little to dispel the gloom.

"Yeah, journeys are always a lot more interesting when there are a few monsters to fight along the way." Sabin put his hands behind his head as he walked.

Suddenly, a high pitched, inhuman screech out through the tunnel, causing everyone to freeze.

"Brother, you really have to start thinking before you speak." Said Edgar.

Before the echoes of the sound had even died down, a second noise sounded out. This one caused everyone's ears to prick up.

"That was a human." Said Cyan.

"A female human." Said Edgar.

"Come on. It 's just ahead of us." Sabin took off, running down the tunnel, with the others close behind.

The four men rounded a corner to find that the tunnel opened up into another cavern. This one wasn't as big as the first, and it didn't have a lake in it. What it did have was a swarm of toecutters, and a young woman who looked like she was about to become their meal.

Sabin didn't waste any time. He instantly charged the mantis-like creatures, yelling as he did so.

"Hey, Bug-Boys! Try picking on someone your own size!"

Several of the monsters turned at the sound of Sabin's voice and began to converge on him. Reaching to his belt, Sabin unhooked his deadly tiger fangs. Slipping them over his knuckles, he met the toecutters' onslaught. Moving with surprising speed and grace, for a man of his build, Sabin slashed through the creatures as they came at him.

Some had not gone after Sabin, but continued their assault on the young woman. These however, found themselves shot down by a hail of arrows. The maiden looked up from the fallen monsters to see a man, with a very strange hat, hefting an even stranger looking crossbow over his shoulder.

Edgar took his cap off and bowed to the woman.

"Greetings, my lady. King Edgar Roni Figaro the First, at your service. Permit me to lend my assistance at this – Hey!"

Edgar was yanked back, by his cape.

"Save the introduction, Romeo! We still got a bug problem to deal with!" Setzer flung some of his cards at the monsters. Cyan swung his aura blade with practiced skill, dispatching a monster with every strike.

Unfortunately, more toecutters were arriving from holes high up in the cavern wall. The four Returners regrouped and placed themselves in front of the young woman.

"If anyone has any ideas, now would be a good time to speak up." Said Setzer.

"Sir Sabin, if memory serves, yonder bug monsters have a great weakness to fire."

"Say no more, Cyan. Everybody stand back."

Sabin placed his arms in front of him, elbows bent, wrists crossing. His eyes locked on the swarming creatures and he began to chant softly. Suddenly a red aura surrounded his body. He pulled his arms down to his sides and screamed,

"Fire Dance!"

Several blazing figures seemed to leap out of Sabin's body. They raced along the ground and through the air, hitting the toecutters with spirals of flames. Those that weren't struck down turned and ran back to their nest. Soon the burning figures faded and there wasn't a monster left in sight.

Sabin exhaled slowly, and then turned to the others with a grin.

"Do I know how to heat things up or what?"

Edgar, Setzer and Cyan just looked at him with narrowed eyes. The three of them were then suddenly knocked aside as the young woman ran up to Sabin and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"How did you do that! How are you able to use magic! And I've never heard of that spell before! What was that!" Her long white hair shook as she questioned Sabin.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sabin put his hands up defensively. "That wasn't magic. That was a blitz." He noted the confused look in the girl's dark blue eyes, and explained. "It's an attack that uses ki. My master, Duncan, taught it to me."

The girl stepped back and took a proper look at her rescuers. She took in their clothes and weapons, as well as the fighting techniques she'd just seen.

"You guys aren't from around here, are you?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The tunnel was silent. The only sound was the occasional drip of water from the ceiling. However, that sound was suddenly joined by another.

"Grrroooaa!"

Setzer, Relm and Gau all stopped in their tracks and turned around to look at Umaro.

"What was that about?" Setzer asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"Kupo! He's hungry." Mog answered from his position on Umaro's head.

Setzer grumbled under his breath. Why did he have to get stuck with the babysitting job?

"Oh, let's stop and have something to eat." Said Relm. We've been walking for over an hour. Ifrit knows your old legs probably need a rest."

Strago considered chastising Relm for that little remark, but decided against it. She never listened anyway. Besides, a rest actually sounded pretty good.

The group sat down and unpacked some of the food they had brought. As they ate, Relm spoke up again,

"I wonder what these mages are like. I mean, so far they seem to be real jerks. Are we sure we want to be looking for them?"

"Edgar say that we should not judge all mages the same." Said Gau.

"That's right." Said Strago. "For all we know, this Cerro may be a rouge. We'll just keep looking until either we can't go any further, or we find something. I just hope, if we do, that it won't have anything to do with Cerro."

Suddenly a loud rumbling filled the tunnel.

"Uuooo! Is Umaro's stomach not full yet?" Gau looked at the yeti in surprise.

"Kupo! That wasn't Umaro!" Mog pointed down the tunnel in the direction they had been heading. Coming towards them was a huge machine with a giant drill on the front. It was moving very fast and showed no signs of slowing down.

"Uh… Maybe they no see us?" Gau said, taking a nervous step back.

"I doubt it. Run!" Strago yelled.

Umaro grabbed Strago and Relm and took off, holding one in each arm, with Mog clinging to the top of his head. Gau bounded along beside him on all fours, like a cat.

The driller continued to bear down upon them gradually getting closer.

"If anyone has any bright ideas, don't be shy!" Relm cried out.

Strago reached into his robe.

"Well, I was saving this for an emergency…" He pulled out a short staff that was made of, what looked like, blue and white marble. It shimmered, even in the darkness of the tunnel.

"Too bad." Strago said as he took aim. "This is my last pearl rod."

With that, he threw the mystical weapon at the machine chasing them. It spun through the air, hit the drill point, split and…

'Fwooooosh!'

Gau and Umaro were sent flying by the energy that hit them from behind. Umaro turned in mid-fall so that he landed on his back with Relm and Strago held to his chest. Mog flew off of Umaro's head and landed, with a roll, on the ground. They lay where they were motionless, for a few moments. Gau was the first to get up. With a groan, he pushed himself to his hands and knees.

"Everyone okay?" He asked.

"Aside from having a mouth full of yeti hair, I'm alright." Relm jumped down from Umaro's chest and brushed herself off. She looked towards where the machine that had been chasing them now lay. Or rather, what was left of it.

The machine was now a mass of broken parts that lay in a crumpled heap on the ground. Relm smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"That'll learn 'em."

Suddenly the pile of scrap gave a lurch as something pushed itself up from under it. Relm gave a yelp and jumped back. Gau and Umaro stepped in front of their friends and prepared themselves for a fight. The junk gave way and a figure hobbled out.

"Oooh my! That was powerful magic. Yes, yes. That was magic if ever Mumjo saw it."

Now that the stranger was standing in front of them, the team could see that it was a… well, not exactly a man. He was roughly the size of Strago, and looked to be the same age, if not a little older. He only had a little hair left, which was bright blue, and his eyes had shining yellow irises. He was dressed in a dark blue robe; out of which poked a pair of skinny arms. The strangest thing about this stranger was that his legs didn't seem to be the same length. As he stood, everyone noticed that he was leaning slightly to the right, as if his left leg was shorter by a couple of inches.

He took a few steps towards the party. Well, his right foot took one step. His left took a few to catch up with it. Before he could get any closer, Umaro moved so that he was towering over the strange being. A threatening growl came from between his teeth.

"Kupo! Hold it right there, Buster!" Mog said, as if translating for Umaro. "You just tried to mow us down!"

The being put his hands together and bowed his head.

"Mumjo's apologies. He heard you mention Cerro's name and thought you were with him. But none of his followers have magic as powerful as that. Tell Mumjo; how is it you are able to perform magic? Do you draw from the well too?"

"Wait a second." Relm waved her hands to get his attention. "You're not with Cerro?"

"And what's this 'well'?" Asked Strago.

"Kupo! And who's Mumjo?" Mog added.

Their new 'friend' looked a little wide-eyed at the sudden questions flung his way. But he composed himself and started over; slower this time.

"First of all; _Mumjo_ is Mumjo." He pointed at himself when he said this.

"Oh, I get it." Relm put on a friendly smile, and then leaned close to Gau so that she could whisper in his ear,

"This guy's a real nut job. He's referring to himself in third person."

"Gau hate that." The boy replied.

Mumjo continued.

"And as for Cerro; Mumjo is certainly _not_ with him! He is a monster!"

"Glad to see we're on the same page. Kupo!"

"Strange that you do not know of the well." Mumjo's eyes narrowed slightly. "So how were you able to perform such a powerful spell?"

"Well you see, that wasn't really a spell, per se." Strago scratched the back of his head. "The people in my village found a way to seal magic inside of weapons. What I threw at you was a pearl rod. My last one too." He added as a slight mumble.

Mumjo stroked his chin. A thoughtful look was on his face.

"So… you are from the upper world, yes?" He said.

"Well, obviously!" Said Relm. "If we were from down here, would we be standing around asking all these questions?"

Mumjo looked to be in deep thought for a moment. Then he spoke again,

"Mumjo thinks we should talk back at his home. Come." He then, with his very strange walk, approached a wall of the tunnel. He placed his hands upon it and turned. A circular tile that, up to now, had been invisible moved and the wall opened up.

"Please." Mumjo called over to the group as he stepped/hobbled through the opening. "Walk this way."

"Don't you dare." Strago warningly glared at Relm as they followed.

(Scene Change)

Darkness. Complete and utter darkness. It completely surrounded Gogo, pressing down on her almost painfully. Wait. It might have been the darkness pressing down on her, or it might've been…

"Excuse me. Would whoever's boot that is mind removing it from my face?"

"Sorry, Celes." Said Terra, trying to remove herself from the heap she and the others had formed upon hitting the ground.

"That's Gogo. _I'm_ Celes!" An identical, but not nearly as polite, voice sounded out. "And, Locke! This is hardly the time or place for that!"

"Sorry. I didn't know you were there. I was trying to feel for a door or something."

Eventually, everyone had managed to get to their feet and Locke fired up a new torch. They appeared to be in a fairly small room, made up of natural rock this time, with no sign of a door anywhere. The team spent a few minutes trying to find another hidden opening, but to no prevail.

"It would seem that there is no way out of here." Said Gogo.

"Not from the inside, anyway." Added Celes. "Considering we fell down here through a trap door, this is probably some kind of holding cell."

Terra sighed.

"So we've given ourselves right to them."

"Well I'm not giving up just yet." Celes raised a clenched fist. "We're still armed and, sooner or later, those mages are going to have to come in here. And when they do, we'll show them that we can hold our own just fine, even without magic."

Locke grinned in the torchlight. That was the kind of spirit that had made him fall for Celes in the first place.

The four of them stood in the semi-darkness for a few minutes. Finally, Locke spoke up,

"So, anyone for a game of twenty questions?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Locke had his ear pressed against the door of their prison. Actually, all four of the room's occupants had their ears against one of the four walls and he'd only just discovered he had the right one.

"Someone's coming."

He backed away from the wall and regrouped with the others. They stood together facing the 'door'.

"Okay, everyone." Said Terra. "Remember the plan."

White shining lights appeared on the wall; similar to the ones that had gotten them trapped down there in the first place. The entire section rose and disappeared into the ceiling. Standing in the opening were four figures. One male and three females. The man was tall and had dark hair, tied back in a ponytail. His eyes were dark too. He wore a simple dark green tunic and grey pants. Across his back was strapped a broadsword. The three women looked like they could be sisters. They all wore close-fitting yellow dresses. Their features were identical except for their hair and eye colour. One had black hair and brown eyes. The second had blonde hair and blue eyes, and the third had red hair and green eyes.

The man crossed his arms and looked directly at Gogo.

"Celes Chere, I presume?" He said.

Gogo looked back at the man calmly; her arms casually by her sides.

"You presume correctly." She replied. "And you are?"

The man gave a small chuckle,

"Oh, forgive me." He said mockingly. "Where are my manners? I'm Amar. And these;" He pointed to the three women in turn. "These are April, May and June. But we just call them the sirens. Now that we all know each other."

He unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip at Gogo's throat.

"Your sword."

The three women spread out so that the four of them were blocking the opening. The blonde; April and brunette; May were standing to Amar's right, while the redhead; June was on his left.

"Y'know." Amar spoke again. "Given your reputation, I honestly didn't expect you to be foolish enough to come down here. I thought you'd have stayed up top where it's safe."

"Then, clearly, you don't know Celes Chere as well as you think."

The real Celes (unbeknownst to them) unsheathed her own weapon and knocked Amar's sword away from Gogo. She stood in front of her double, holding the blade ready.

Amar just gave a snort and nodded to June. The redhead enclosed her right hand in her left and pointed them at Celes.

"Stopaga!"

"Runic!"

The red tinted energy that flew from June's fists was drawn to, and absorbed by, Celes' Rune blade. It flowed through the steel, into the hilt of the weapon and right into Celes herself. Relishing the rush of power that she hadn't felt in a long time, Celes sprang forward and planted her knee right into June's sternum.

Amar didn't have time to get over his surprise before Locke came up and knocked him back with a right hook to the face. The shock caused him to drop his sword, which Locke kicked away. Rubbing his face, Amar let out a bellow of rage and began throwing punches at the smaller man. Locke made good use of his speed, quick reflexes and even quicker tongue as he nimbly dodged the blows.

"Missed… Missed again… Oh, you nearly got me that time… So close…"

Amar threw a wide punch which Locke ducked under. The treasure hunter came up again behind Amar. The dark haired fighter turned to attack again, but then noticed that Locke was grinning and holding up his belt.

"Drop something?"

Amar looked down to see his pants were around his ankles. Turning a bright crimson; he bent down to pick them up, and received a powerful uppercut to the jaw. As the big man landed, Locke dusted off his hands and checked on his companions. Amar's three female companions were lying in a heap on the floor, with Celes, Terra and Gogo standing by them.

The group wasted no time in exiting the prison. Celes shut the door behind them by placing her hand on a circular stone on the wall, just like the one before. They were now in a corridor, with two directions to choose from. Left or right. Not one of them knew which way was the exit; so Gogo selected left, simply because she had a good feeling about it, and the others complied.

As they ran, Terra spoke up,

"Is it me, or do most of our plans revolve around beating up the bad guys and then running away?"

"Hey, it's a formula that works." Celes answered.

"Speaking of plans." Said Locke. "Anybody have a plan concerning what we do now?"

As he said this, the group turned a corner and came face to face with about a dozen assorted men and women; some of which were already bringing their hands up to perform various spells.

The four friends stood silent for a moment, before Gogo spoke,

"I think the tested formula of 'beating up the bad guys and running' would once again prove useful here."

Enough said, the group drew their weapons and charged.

(Scene Change)

"So, you're really from the surface?"

Edgar and his group had moved away from the toecutters' nest, and were now seated by the lake that the Sub-Mariner was resting in. The young woman, who'd introduced herself as Recca, had just heard their story.

"We were hoping to find these mages." Edgar explained. "I want to talk to them. See if they would be willing to rejoin the outside world."

Recca's face seemed to suddenly light up when Edgar said this. She clasped her hands together.

"Really? You'd take us back with you?"

"Well, not with the Sub-Mariner." Said Sabin, gesturing to the stranded vehicle. "Thanks to Cerro's welcoming party, we can't leave either."

"But we know that Cerro has been up to the surface." Said Setzer. "There must be a way up top."

"Oh, there is." Recca said, sadly. "But his followers guard it. Any mage that tries to leave is attacked."

"Where art the other mages?" Asked Cyan.

Recca cast her eyes downward.

"They are forced to live deep within Cerro's domain. He says they are workers, but they are treated more like slaves. I barely managed to get away myself."

"I gotta know." Said Sabin. "How're those guys able to use magic? Our friend Terra said something about them drawing it out of things."

Recca looked thoughtful for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to tell them. Finally, she exhaled slowly and spoke,

"Alright. Seeing as you're here to help.

I'm sure that you know the source of magic in the world was the realm of the espers. Or, to be more accurate, the statues of the three goddesses that originated in the esper realm. When the esper realm was sealed away for good, and the statues destroyed, there was no longer a way for magic to enter the world. But, that didn't mean that there still wasn't any already here. Everyone is always so interested in finding out where magic comes from, but they never ask where it goes. What happens to the energy given out when a spell is cast? It used to be that the energy would return to the statues and be recycled back out but, with the statues gone, the magic settled. It quickly became absorbed by the planet itself; existing within the rocks or water. In some places, it is so concentrated, you can almost see it. Cerro refers to these places as draw streams and anyone with natural magic-using skills, such as mages, can absorb the energy into themselves. But it doesn't last forever. They can only use a certain amount of magic before they have to draw again, and the streams take time to replenish themselves with magical energy.

There's a place not far from here that is full of draw springs." Recca indicated the tunnels around them. "These are the result of Cerro's followers searching for it. They found it not too long ago, but it is guarded by various traps and obstacles. If I could find a way through it, before Cerro does, I could replenish my magic power and bring some back to my friends with this."

She reached into her pocket and brought out a small box covered with runic symbols.

Edgar stood up.

"Well then, our goal is clear." He spoke in the commanding tone he always used when he was about to announce a plan. "We shall accompany Lady Recca to these draw streams and help her to free her comrades."

Recca stood up as well. Her hands clasped together once more.

"Oh, I don't know how to thank you!"

Edgar whipped off his cap and bowed deeply to Recca.

"My lady. I could not call myself a king, or indeed a gentleman, if I did not give aid to those who so clearly need it." He then took Recca's hand and kissed it.

"Ahem. Excuse me?" Setzer tapped on the back of Edgar's bowed head. Edgar looked over his shoulder at the gambler; eyes slightly narrowed.

"Yes, Setzer. What is it?"

"Have you forgotten that we have comrades of our own? And that we haven't seen hide nor hair of them since we separated? What if they're in trouble and need our help, while we're hunting magic fountains?"

"If they are in trouble, then the best thing we can do is to get the draw streams before Cerro and free the mages under his rule." Edgar answered. "We'll leave a message here so if any of our friends come back, they'll know the plan."

"Plan? This sounds more like a rash impulsively decided course of action than a detailed plan?" Said Cyan.

Sabin leant back with his arms behind his head.

"Since when have our plans been anything else?" He said.


End file.
